


Turnaround

by ZenTango



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Easter Eggs, F/F, Leather Jackets, Metaphors, Role Reversal, Sex Drugs and Rock and Roll, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Shaw joins a rock band, Shaw sings and plays a guitar, Shaw wears cool leather gear like Joan Jett or Suzi Quatro, She's pretty good at it too, Whiskey - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-11
Updated: 2017-01-29
Packaged: 2018-09-07 21:58:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 23,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8817706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZenTango/pseuds/ZenTango
Summary: The unfinished symphony of Shoot hits a rocky patch. Metaphors abound. Song lyrics and thinly disguised pop culture references cascade like crashing power chords amidst choruses of love, betrayal and hopefully, redemption. Also, there's leather.





	1. Chapter 1

 

_I live uptown_  
_I live downtown_  
_I live all around_  
_I had money, and I had none_  
_But I never been so broke that I couldn't leave town._  
_"The Changeling" - The Doors._

* * *

 

The ground was hard and rather gravelly. Root lifted her head and tried to move. Despite the darkness, she could tell her hands were pretty scraped up. Her shoulder hurt from the way she'd rolled when they threw her out of the car. She'd landed on soft ground but then rolled down here where the gravel was. She was lying face down, her nose not broken but bleeding. Blood in her mouth too. She spit it out and sat up.

There was pain here and there but nothing seemed broken. Her knee hurt like hell. Probably a bad sprain. She got up and made her way back up the embankment. The bikers had peeled off in their El Camino after dumping her but they might be back. They were mean and stupid and they didn't like being hustled at pool. Root chuckled to herself. Wait until they figured out that she'd emptied their bank accounts as well. If they ever figured it out. Dumb asses.

She walked back into town, limping, sticking to the darkened side of the road where there were no street lights. A few minutes later she found what she was looking for -- an older model car sitting in a parking lot with the doors unlocked. Opening it, she slid in quietly and began pulling out the wires for the ignition. Her fingers were cold, so she fumbled a bit at first. She bit her lip and tried again. Then she heard it. The click of a gun. Right behind her, in the back seat.

"Need a ride?"

Root sighed but didn't look back. She knew the voice.

"Shaw."

"Long time no see."

"With good reason."

Shaw leaned forward between the seats and studied Root carefully, her gun still drawn.

"What the hell happened to you?" she asked finally.

"What do you care."

Shaw frowned. "I do care. Don't be like that."

Root didn't answer. She went back to the wires, ignoring Shaw, who got out of the back seat, opened the front passenger door and slid into the seat next to Root.

"I have a key," Shaw told her.

Root sighed and slapped her palms against the steering wheel, sitting back in her seat and leaning her head against it, looking up at the roof of the car, anywhere but at Shaw.

"I have to bring you in," Shaw continued. "Boss's orders."

"Tell your boss I'm freelancing."

"Not anymore. C'mon, let me drive."

Shaw moved her hand to Root's arm and squeezed gently, but Root closed her eyes and didn't respond. Shaw leaned in closer.

"You're bleeding," she said, pulling Root's jacket open and pressing her fingers against the ugly dark stain on her T-shirt.

She began saying Root's name, softly at first and then louder, more urgently. But Root was only aware of the blurry outline of Shaw's face and the sound of her voice disappearing as though she'd dropped down a well.

* * *

 

When she woke up, she realized she was lying on her back. Someone was stroking her hair. She started to open her eyes and the hand that was in her hair moved so that it was on her forehead. Her eyes focused on the face that was looking down at her with grave concern.

"Shaw," she mumbled weakly. "Where am I?'

"You're at my place. I had to fix you up."

"What ..." Root tried to look around. "What happened?"

"You were hurt pretty badly. And then you were feverish for a while. I think it's better now though," Shaw replied, removing her hand from Root's forehead.

Root turned her head and looked away.

"You wanna tell me what you've been up to?" Shaw asked.

"No."

Shaw sat quietly for a minute or two, then got up.

"I'll get you some tea," she said, heading to the kitchen.

Root waited a few minutes, then moved over to the side of the bed and tried to get up. She couldn't put any weight on her arm without feeling excruciating pain through her shoulder. Her back and neck were badly sprained as well. She grimaced and forced herself to her feet, shuffling out of Shaw's bedroom toward the kitchen where Shaw was pouring hot liquid into a mug.

"What are you doing up?"

"I'm fine."

"No you're not. Sit down before you pass out again."

Shaw pulled out a chair for Root and set the mug down on the kitchen table. Root gasped and clenched her teeth as she tried to sit, her back reacting with a spasm. Shaw instinctively took her arm to help support her but Root pulled it away abruptly.

Neither one of them spoke for several minutes while Root cupped her hands around the mug and took a few sips of tea. Her back was to Shaw, who leaned against the kitchen counter with her arms crossed, watching her. Root made no effort to turn around and face her.

Finally, Shaw pulled up the chair next to her and sat down. She stared at Root, who stared at her tea. Shaw waited for her to look up. She didn't. Shaw leaned forward.

"Are you ever going to forgive me?"

"No."

"Dammit Root, it was one night. One fucking night."

"Interesting choice of words."

"I've told you. It meant nothing."

"And that's supposed to make me feel better?" Root asked, fixing her eyes on Shaw at last.

Shaw frowned. "Yes."

Root went back to staring at her tea.

The silence was broken by the sound of Shaw's phone ringing. It was Finch, asking how Root was doing. Shaw told him she was awake, then offered her the phone.

"It's Harold."

"I don't want to talk to him."

"He's just concerned."

There was no response from Root so Shaw signed off, promising to get in touch with Finch later.

Pushing back her chair, Shaw stood up and put her hands on her hips.

"Look, I fucked up. I'm sorry. I've told you I'm sorry. I wish I could go back and change what I did but I can't. How much longer are you going to keep on doing this shit?"

"What shit is that."

"Taking off on these lone wolf suicide missions. Not telling anyone where you are going. You don't talk to me. You don't even talk to the Machine anymore. You're going to get yourself killed."

Root didn't reply. Shaw shook her head and sighed.

"Who are you trying to punish anyway," Shaw asked in desperation. "Me or yourself?"

She waited for a few seconds, then grabbed her jacket and stalked out of the apartment.

The door slammed behind her. Root looked straight ahead and whispered the answer under her breath, even though she was alone.

"Both."

* * *

 

The tea had too much milk and sugar in it. Root dumped the rest of it down the sink. Shaw always put too much milk in her tea and not enough in her coffee. You'd think she'd know by now.

Root stared at the remnants of the tea slowly oozing down into the drain. She knew what she was punishing Shaw for, but what was she punishing herself for? Losing control, letting her guard down, falling in love. She'd always prided herself on her ability to survive on her own, to travel light. Then she met Shaw, whose quiet intensity was like a dark magnet, always pulling her back, making her forget she didn't need anyone.

At first it was just flirting, innuendo. Then the eye contact started. Shaw didn't want the others to know. She camouflaged their growing attraction with verbal barbs, deflections and naked insults. But it soon became almost impossible for the two of them to be in a room together with all the eye-fucking that was going on. Before Root even knew what was happening they were sleeping together. She found, much to her surprise, that she felt perfectly comfortable waking up with that warm body nestled against her back, those arms around her. And it seemed Shaw felt the same way. But they never discussed it, never talked about what it meant.

They still weren't talking about what it meant. They talked around the edges of their pain, their guilt, without touching what was in the center of it all. Root didn't know if she'd be able to touch it now.

She walked around Shaw's apartment, looking for a gun. It took her about half an hour but she eventually found one jammed behind the broken radiator. It was loaded too. Better and better. She grabbed a bottle of painkillers from the medicine cabinet and then pulled on her boots. Time to go. Root went to get her leather jacket from the hallway closet but it wasn't there. She hunted around for a few minutes until it dawned on her that Shaw had taken it by mistake. Damn. Shaw must have realized it but didn't want to come back to the apartment just yet.

Oh well, there was only one way around it. Root grabbed Shaw's jacket from the closet and pulled it on. The sleeves were a little short but it would do. She opened the apartment door and slipped out.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just for some perspective, this story is not part of the earlier series (Shoots and Scores/ Oil and Water). It takes place a short while after Root joins the team. It will have a darker tone than the earlier stories as well.


	2. Chapter 2

  
_Why're you so upset?_  
_Baby, you weren't there_  
_And I was thinking of you when I came._  
_"I Heard Love is Blind" - Amy Winehouse_

* * *

 

Finch was tapping away at his keyboard when Shaw walked into the library a few hours later.

He looked around quickly.

"Where's Ms. Groves?"

"She gave me the slip."

"What? You said you had it in hand."

"I did. Until I didn't."

Finch pursed his lips and looked at Shaw with what she recognized as sympathy, although she didn't want any. He drew in a breath.

"I know it's none of my business..."

Shaw glared at him and he looked down briefly at his screen, then turned back to her.

"Whatever's happened between the two of you, you have to patch it up. We need her back on the team."

"I'm working on it. It's going to take more than a few red roses and a box of candy."

Finch looked up suddenly. "Have you tried that?"

Shaw shook her head and opened the gun cabinet. No, she hadn't tried that. She didn't really want a fist full of roses punching her in the face and a box of chocolates broken over her head. Although that would probably be better than the frozen silence she'd been dealing with.

She rummaged around in the cabinet before pulling out a small pistol and slipping it into her inside pocket. Root's inside pocket more accurately. She'd realized on her way out of her building that she'd grabbed the wrong jacket but she didn't want to turn around and go back inside. Not with Root the way she'd been. Angry, uncommunicative, inconsolable. Everything Shaw said to her seemed to make things worse. She wanted desperately to put everything right again but Root couldn't get past her careless betrayal. Not yet anyway.

Shaw had tried to explain. She was lonely. She'd been drinking. Root had been gone for three weeks. What did she expect? It all sounded like bullshit when Shaw said it. She'd crossed a line they both knew was there.

She turned around and saw Reese walking in, his eyes on the open gun cabinet.

"Something I don't know about?" he asked.

"Root's taken my back-up piece," she replied.

"Oh."

Shaw slipped her hand into one of the jacket's pockets and pulled out a plastic swipe card. She handed it to Finch.

"Could you read this and tell me what it's for?" she asked.

Finch took the card and swiped it on his reader, then tapped a command into his computer. He looked up a few seconds later.

"It's the Plaza. Room 804.

"Thanks."

Shaw glanced at Reese. "You wanna tag along?"

He nodded and they both headed out to the car. The hotel was several blocks away and there was plenty of time for talking but they drove in silence. Reese knew better than to pry.

Shaw realized there was a chance the card might not work. Who knew how long it had been in Root's jacket? But when they got to the door and swiped it, a green light greeted them and the door unlocked.

"Looks like this is where she's been holed up," Reese remarked as they walked in.

There were some personal items around, although not many, and a half-filled cup of coffee on the desk. It had been cold for a while. Root's laptop was open on the small table near the window. Shaw touched the screen to wake it up but it was locked down securely and Shaw knew she'd have no luck breaking in, even if she'd wanted to.

"Anything?" Reese asked.

"Nope."

"What's she up to?"

"No idea."

Shaw had hoped to find Root there and to talk some sense into her. Now she wondered if she should wait for her. God, that sounded like something Root would do.

"Let's go," she told Reese. "She's not coming back while we're here. If she doesn't want to be found, she won't be."

Reese tapped his earpiece. "Finch has a number," he told her.

Shaw checked her phone. "OK," she said. "Give me a minute, will you?"

"Sure," said Reese, heading for the door. "I'll meet you outside."

Shaw walked back to where Root's laptop was. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small black case and placed it on the table. Then she turned and headed to the door, feeling suddenly suffocated by the quiet stillness of the room and the three words that kept pounding inside her head, over and over, like drumbeats.

Please come back.

 

* * *

 

Outside, Reese was standing next to the car, his hands in his pockets, his eyes squinting in the harsh sunlight.

"Who's the number?" Shaw asked him. "All Finch sent me was a bunch of downloaded songs. What's he on?"

"Black Salve," Reese smiled. "I have all their CDs."

Shaw got in the car and smirked at him. "No one buys CDs anymore."

"I do."

Shaw rolled her eyes. "You would. Where are we off to?"

"Not me. You."

"Say again?"

Finch's voice came over Shaw's earpiece. "The Machine tells me you've been hiding your light under a bushel."

"Meaning?"

"You have a secret talent, Ms. Shaw. I had no idea of your musical background."

Reese turned to her, eyebrows raised and an amused smile on his lips. "What's this?' he asked.

Shaw sank down slightly in her seat. "I played in a band in college. Big deal. Who didn't."

"I didn't." Reese regarded Shaw with a wide smile. "Oh, this should be good."

"Shut up."

Finch broke in again. "Ms. Shaw, you need to catch a plane and join Black Salve on their tour. Their bass player had a hideous mishap involving an elevator door. But that's not their biggest problem."

"What is, then?"

"Their singer, Ruby. She's the number."

"You want me to join a rock band so I can get close to their singer?"

Shaw looked over at Reese, who was pretending to play an upright bass. She punched him in the arm.

"I'm not a professional musician," she protested.

"You are now," Finch replied. "They need a last-minute replacement for the bass player and the record company is sending them a fill-in session player named Darla Darke. Darke with an "e" ... Uh, that's you."

Shaw shook her head. "This is insane. How am I going to pull this off?"

Reese interjected before Finch could answer. "Glowering, homicidal, all dressed in black ... I think you've already got most of it covered."

She gave him with a withering look, then addressed Finch again. "I'd have to know all the songs."

"Why do you think I just sent them to you. You can memorize the bass lines on the plane."

"I don't have a bass guitar."

"It'll be waiting for you at the airport."

Shaw sighed in resignation.

"Break a leg," Finch chirped before hanging up.

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

  
  


_"There's no time to lose," I heard her say_  
_Catch your dreams before they slip away_  
_Dying all the time_  
_Lose your dreams and you will lose your mind_  
_"Ruby Tuesday" - The Rolling Stones_

* * *

 

Shaw settled into her seat on the plane and slipped on her headphones, then began flicking through the list of songs Finch had sent her. The Machine had arranged everything perfectly, as usual, right down to the guitar case that was already checked onto the flight.

It was still a mystery how the Machine knew about her proficiency on bass guitar. She hadn't told anyone about it. Not Michael, not Root and certainly not Reese. Maybe the Machine had found some old articles about her college band that had been posted online. Or maybe it had been listening the odd time when she plugged in through an interface and played into her computer.

She hadn't done that for a while. It was something she used to do after returning from an ISA mission. She found it calming to settle onto the couch, lie back with her headphones on and just play out endless lines, like she was solving a puzzle. She liked working in fours. It was like building a square that doubled on itself and then folded over again before returning to square one. A beautiful, unbroken sequence that made perfect sense.

That was before she had to drop off the grid, when she fled the ISA, after Michael was killed. She'd left everything behind, including her guitar. She'd never had that much stuff, really, but the guitar was one of the few "things" she had treasured. Besides her guns.

Shaw was worried her playing would be rusty. She checked her phone and found Finch had sent her charts for each song, courtesy of the Machine. She hoped she'd have time to learn and practice them before meeting the rest of the band.

She listened to most of the songs, trying to separate the sounds of the instruments. The band itself was loose, a little sloppy. The bass player was mediocre, the drummer competent but not flashy. The guitarist was good. But of course it was the singer who was the real star. She had an earthy, soulful voice with a gorgeous lower register. Shaw was impressed.

When the plane landed, Shaw slipped on her sunglasses and headed to the baggage claim to pick up her bass. There was also a suitcase full of clothes waiting for her. She wondered what kind of wardrobe the Machine had selected. Picking up her baggage, she made her way out front to where a limo was waiting. She couldn't help catching sight of her own reflection in the sliding glass doors as she walked by. She laughed. Yeah, total rock star.

* * *

 

The limo took Shaw to her hotel and she spent the next few hours learning the songs the Machine had prioritized as being on the set list for the next show. There was one called "Killing Time" that she really liked, and another called "Bad and Wrong" that was fun to play. After a while, her fingers were pretty sore so she decided to put down the bass and check what was in the suitcase.

She pulled out two pairs of black leather pants, a lace-up leather vest and several corset bustiers, including one that fastened with a series of buckles and straps and another that looked like it was made of chain mail.

Once again, the Machine was outdoing itself. The pants and the vest fit perfectly, although Shaw wasn't looking forward to buckling herself into that bondage gear anytime soon. There was also a pair of mid-calf black leather boots that Shaw had to admit she quite liked, even though the toes were a little pointy and the laces would take a while to do up.

She wondered when the Machine had managed to record all her measurements. Then she decided she'd rather not know the answer.

Before bed, Shaw called Finch to let him know everything was on plan and oh, by the way, had he heard from Root? No, he hadn't.

When she got into bed at last, her head was still buzzing with some of the songs. Tomorrow would be the real test.

* * *

 

A phone call from the band's road manager came early the next morning, making sure Shaw would be at the noon rehearsal. She arrived at the hall to find the rest of the band just trickling in. A scruffy blond man approached her and introduced himself.

"Hey you must be the bass player," he smiled, giving her an overtly appraising once-over. "I'm Derek, the drummer."

Shaw nodded and looked at the others.

"That's Pete," Derek went on, motioning to a tall, dark-haired man. "He plays lead, and that's Gord, who tries to play rhythm."

The men laughed and shook Shaw's hand. They began setting up as an engineer came in and made some adjustments to the sound equipment. Derek had a roadie who helped him with his drums but the others seemed happy to plug in and start noodling around on their guitars as they waited for Shaw to get her bearings.

Shaw plugged in and set her amp the way she liked it. Then she looked around for Ruby. No sign of her just yet. Derek called the first song for rehearsal and the band started playing it, with Shaw managing to slide in quite well after the first couple of bars. Shaw quickly sized up the band's members and their roles. Derek was obviously the leader, Pete was quiet and introverted and Gord was the clown.

Shaw knew they were sizing her up as well, but they seemed happy with her so far. She was facing Derek for most of the first song, watching his drumming so she could work out the rhythm properly. Then she realized someone else had entered the space.

She turned and saw a tall, raven-haired woman sweep in, dressed in jeans and an embroidered top, her hair pulled back with a scarf. The woman pulled up a chair and sat listening for a minute, then picked up a microphone and let loose.

Shaw was stunned. Ruby wasn't mortal, she was a force of nature. Her powerful voice filled the hall and turned the air electric. When she finished the song, she turned to Shaw and gave her a broad grin.

"Well look what the angels brought me!" she exclaimed in a husky voice, springing from her chair and over to Shaw in one singular movement. "You are gorgeous, honey, and I love the way you play!"

She pulled a long lock of Shaw's hair and let it slide through her fingers, as Shaw stood there, speechless.

"Hhmmm," Ruby smiled seductively, her piercing blue eyes wandering over Shaw from head to toe. "We are gonna get along just fine."

She flipped Shaw's hair away and flounced back to her chair with a devilish smile, done with her for now. On to the next thing. Shaw took a deep breath. Ruby was going to be a challenge.

* * *

 

The green light on the door flickered on. Root pocketed her key card, glad she'd made more than one copy when she hacked into the hotel's security system. She picked up the coffee cup and dumped the remaining fluid down the sink, then tossed the empty cup into the garbage.

She debated whether or not to add her room to the housekeeping list for tomorrow morning. It would be nice to have clean sheets on her bed but she preferred not to have anyone poking around her room, even if it was just to clean up. And so far, the hotel had no idea she was using the room since she'd blocked it out of their computer system.

She walked over to the table where her laptop was and suddenly stopped. Someone had been there. The laptop had been moved slightly as though someone had tried to look at it. And there was something else on the table. A small black case. Root picked it up and opened it, knowing at once who her surreptitious visitor had been.

Shaw.

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

 

_Way up in my tree I'm sitting by my fire_  
_Wondering where in this world might you be_  
_And knowin' all the time you're still roamin' in the countryside_  
_Do you still think about me?_  
_Oh my gypsy._  
_"Gypsy Eyes" - Jimi Hendrix_

* * *

 

The first show was the following night. Shaw was a bit nervous, although the rehearsals had gone well and she seemed to be fitting in with the band. She tried to keep an eye on Ruby without being too obvious about it. It wasn't easy. There seemed to be lots of people around the singer most of the time. Shaw counted at least five flitting around before the show, although they didn't really need to be there.

There was a publicist, a hair stylist, a wardrobe person, a personal assistant and someone from the record company whose sole job seemed to be running interference. Ruby seemed to enjoy the attention but also knew how to ditch the entourage when she tired of them.

When she visited Shaw in her dressing room before the show, she came alone.

"Hey honey, how're ya making out?" she asked, appraising the fit of Shaw's leather get-up.

"Great, you're all in black, that's perfect," Ruby smiled. "I love that leather vest, but what about this? She went to the rack and picked out the chain mail corset.

"Wear this one," she instructed. "It'll be perfect next to what' I'm wearing."

"What are you wearing?" Shaw asked.

"You'll see when the curtain goes up," Ruby teased. "Nobody sees Ruby before then. Not even a pretty little filly like you."

She gave Shaw's shoulder a playful push, then laughed and swept out of the room. Shaw unlaced the vest and peeled it off, and then began getting into the corset. It really was not her style of clothing but once she had it on she had to admit it looked pretty good. She turned and admired it in the mirror from several different angles. Then she realized she wasn't just admiring the clothes, she was admiring herself. She gritted her teeth. What the hell was she doing here?

Oh right, the mission. Find out what kind of danger Ruby's in and who's causing it. Shaw took a deep breath and headed out to the stage.

* * *

 

The show was fantastic. Once Shaw got over her initial jitters, she found she loved the adrenaline rush she was getting from being onstage. The crowd cheered for her and the other band members, hooting and screaming as they began playing. But none of that matched the energy that erupted when Ruby made her entrance. The whole audience went wild.

The singer was dressed in a deep red leather jumpsuit replete with long fringes and several scarves. She whirled around like a dervish at first, then launched into "Killing Time," her voice building slowly, seductively until it reached a soaring crescendo. The band played louder, harder, faster and it just pushed Ruby more and more until finally, she ended the song with a piercing scream that shook the rafters.

Ruby turned and her eyes met Shaw's. She shouted her approval, then turned to Derek and nodded and he launched into the opening of the next song. They were off and running after that, with the singer strutting around, working the whole stage, even dancing around Shaw a few times during the instrumental breaks.

Before Shaw realized it, the show was over and the band was heading backstage. Her heart was beating so fast, she felt like she'd just run 10 miles. But it was a good feeling. She sat down and someone handed her a beer. Soon the room was full of noise and people. She noticed Ruby's entourage was back, swarming around her like wasps. Several groupies were milling around the band members and a couple of them made their way over to Shaw. She let them know she wasn't interested.

She kept an eye on Ruby. But she couldn't see anything that appeared to be causing any danger. Just a lot of people talking to her, clamoring around, flattering her. Ruby didn't seem bothered by it. She seemed to feed off it.

The corset was starting to chafe, so Shaw went back to her dressing room and changed into a tank top -- a black one of course -- and her black jeans. Then she went back to the party, where she tried to pick up as much gossip as she could about Ruby and the band.

From what she could gather, Ruby and Derek had been a couple a few years back but now they were just friends. She'd also had a thing with Pete which was now over. The lanky guitarist had not taken the break-up well. She'd had a few other boyfriends and girlfriends as well but seemed to be exclusive at the moment with a guy named Dan, whom several people described as either a scumbag or a drug dealer, or both.

It was early in the morning when Shaw made it back to her hotel room, but she called Finch anyway. She told him what she'd learned so far and asked him to check into Dan and the other band members.

"I'll get on it right away," Finch replied. "I'm glad you've managed to fit in so well. Mr. Reese is interested in getting a copy of your next CD by the way."

"Ha ha," Shaw replied sarcastically. "He'll have to get in line behind my other groupies."

"I'll tell him."

"Thanks, Harold. I'll be in touch again tomorrow," she said. "Oh, and um ..."

"Ms. Groves has not called in."

Shaw sighed. "OK, thanks."

* * *

 

The morning wake-up call came much earlier than Shaw would have preferred. She had to have her bag packed and be on the tour bus by 10 a.m. She managed to fit in a shower but had no time for breakfast before she dragged herself onto the bus.

There was an empty seat at the back, so Shaw slid into it. Jeff, the road manager, brought some breakfast to her, along with a coffee. Shaw was grateful. She stared out the window for a while as the bus rolled down the highway. Then she felt someone slip into the seat next to her.

"Hey darlin'. How'd you sleep? Alone, from what I hear."

Shaw turned to see Ruby smiling at her. Ruby had put away enough liquor to kill a sailor after the show, but she didn't seem hung over at all.

"I prefer it that way," Shaw replied.

"That right? Well let me know if you change your mind," Ruby said with a wink. "You want some more coffee, honey?"

"That would be great, thanks."

Ruby got up and returned a few minutes later with a fresh cup, studying Shaw's face as she handed it to her.

"So," Ruby said with a frown. "Who broke your heart, darlin'?"

"What? No one."

"Don't lie to Ruby."

"No, it's not like that," Shaw explained. "It was the other way around."

She paused and took a breath before going on.

"I broke hers."

"Oh," Ruby said. "Now why'd you go and do a thing like that?"

She looked at Shaw for a while and neither woman spoke.

"Honey," Ruby said. "You gotta make it right."

"I don't know how to do that."

Ruby chuckled and took her hand. "Oh come on. I'm sure with those beautiful dark eyes of yours you can do anything and get anything you want."

Shaw smiled ruefully. If only it were that easy.

* * *

 

Root stared at the black case that was lying open on the table. She picked up the mini cellphone that was inside it, along with the earpiece and mic. She turned it on. It worked. Not bad, considering that the last time she'd seen it, it was flying through the air toward Shaw's head.

She'd flung it at her before storming out of the apartment that night, after their fight. After _it_ had happened. She never meant to go back there, but somehow she had ended up there again. In Shaw's bed. With Shaw's hand in her hair, stroking it tenderly. Looking at her with those big eyes. Those big fucking guilty eyes.

Root felt the anger building in her again. She tried to shove it away. Anger had never served her well. It made her hang onto the past and she didn't want to do that. She'd always felt better when she could concentrate on the future, which is what happened when she found the Machine.

But she hadn't talked to the Machine for a while. She'd flip open her laptop and a window would pop up, always with the same question. She did not answer. She couldn't bear to. She felt like it was all a lie and she was unworthy. Just like that, she was back in the darkest days of her life, when she felt like nothing, like nobody. A shell.

Now, looking at the phone, she felt a slight twinge. She missed talking to the Machine. Maybe she could just check in.

The screen lit up. Root flipped her hair out of the way and slipped in the earpiece. She heard a click.

_"Can. You. Hear. Me."_

"Absolutely."

_"You. Were. Gone. A. Long. Time."_

"I had some things to sort out."

_"And. Did. You."_

"I don't think so. Not yet."

_"Are. You. Ready. To. Come. Back. To. Work."_

"It depends what the work is."

_"Shaw. Needs. You."_

"You mean she needs my help."

_"Yes. But. There. Is. Something. Else."_

"I'm sure she can get along just fine without me."

_"She. Cares. For. You."_

Root sighed. "She has a funny way of showing it."

_"You. Are. Talking. About. Her. Dalliance."_

"Yes, I am."

_"She. Panicked. She. Was. Scared."_

"Of what? What was she scared of?"

_"You."_

"That makes no sense. Why would she be scared of me?"

_"Something. You. Said."_

Root paused.

_"Hello. Can. You. Hear. Me."_

"Yes I'm here," Root said after a while. "When did you become so insightful about human relationships."

_"I. Have. Been. Reading."_

"What, romance novels?"

_"No. I. Find. Those. Novels. Vapid. As. I. Am. Sure. You. Do."_

Root chuckled softly.

_"You. Were. Being. Funny."_

"Yes, sort of."

_"Your. Sense. Of. Humor. Is. Dry."_

"Yes, it is. Sorry."

_"That. Is. Fine. I. Am. Still. Trying. To. Understand."_

"So what novels have you been reading to learn so much about the human heart?"

_"Jane Austen. Ernest Hemingway. Thomas Hardy."_

"Sounds like you're off to a good start then."

_"Thank. You. Do. You. Want. The. Number. Now."_

"Sure, go ahead."

 


	5. Chapter 5

 

_I'm standing in your line_  
_I do hope you have the time_  
_I do pick a number, too_  
_I do keep a date with you_  
_"About a Girl" -- Nirvana_

 

* * *

 

The bus trip to the next city on the tour proved to be a long, tiring one. Shaw tried to nap in her seat but she never slept well that way. She'd been trained to sleep with one eye open, like a good soldier -- a habit that never went away.  
  
So she was quick to rouse herself when she felt someone settle in the seat next to hers a few hours into the journey. It was Ruby again. She smiled at Shaw and nudged her arm playfully.

"Hey, ya wanna meet the man in my life?" she asked her.

"Sure," answered Shaw, sitting up and snapping to attention. "Where is he?"

Maybe she'd get to meet this Dan character a little sooner than expected.

"Right here," Ruby answered slyly, holding up a bottle of liquor and opening it. "The love of my life. Jack Daniels."

She took a drink straight out of the bottle, then offered it to Shaw. "Want some?"

Shaw almost reacted instinctively with a shake of her head, but then she realized this was not unusual behavior for a rock star. What the hell. She nodded and took the bottle.

"Thanks," she said, taking a much smaller swig than Ruby had done.

"Feeling any better now?" Ruby asked, with what appeared to be genuine concern.

"A bit," Shaw answered, realizing Ruby was about to start playing therapist again. She decided to turn the conversation around. Ten hours on a tour bus should provide ample opportunity to find out more about the singer and the demons driving her.

"So what part of Texas are you from?" Shaw asked.

"St. Catharines."

"St. Catharines? Texas?" Shaw asked, puzzled.

"No. St. Catharines, Ontario. It's near Niagara Falls."

Shaw gave Ruby an amused glance. "So what's with the accent, then?"

"What, honey, this old thing?" Ruby laughed. "It adds to the mystique, don'tcha think?"

The singer took another generous slug from the bottle. "It sells better. And I've been doing it so long now, it's part of my personality."

She looked at Shaw shrewdly. "You know what I mean, right?"

Shaw stared back at her.

"I'll tell you another secret about me," Ruby continued, the smile back on her face. "My name's not really Ruby."

"Well, my name's not really Darla Darke."

"I figured that."

"You can call me D, though."

"Fair enough," Ruby held up the bottle in salute.

 

* * *

 

  
The Black Salve tour was taking the band to San Francisco for two nights and after that they were booked for two shows in Los Angeles. Ruby was excited. She planned to hook up with her boyfriend Dan while in L.A., since he would be there on business, whatever that meant.

The other band members seemed less enthused at the prospect. Derek would only give a tight-lipped smile when Dan's name was mentioned while Pete reacted with outright disdain if not hostility. Gord referred to Dan contemptuously as "Dan the Man."

Shaw contacted Finch upon checking into her hotel in San Francisco. He had some background information on Pete and Gord, but nothing on Dan the Man. Pete had been arrested for assault and drug possession several months back but the record company managed to hire him a good lawyer and he got off with a suspended sentence. Finch hadn't managed to find out who the assault was against.

Gord had a bunch of gambling debts and also had a juvenile record in Canada but it was sealed. Finch was going to do some more checking but it didn't seem there was anything like a red flag as far as Ruby's safety was concerned.

"What about the other people around her?" Finch asked. "Could any of them pose a threat?"

"Not unless you think a wardrobe malfunction or a bad perm could be fatal."

"Hmmm, well keep an eye on her," Finch warned. "It could be that the biggest threat to Ruby is Ruby herself, if the drinking habits you've noted are anything to go by."

"OK," Shaw told him. "We have a rehearsal tomorrow. I'll see what's up."

"I should tell you. Ms. Groves has been in touch."

Shaw took a breath. "What did she say?"

"Not much. But she's heading out to Los Angeles, so you should run into her at some point."

"Did she say when or how?"

"No. She was not her usual loquacious self."

"OK, thanks." Shaw hung up.

The next day's rehearsal went smoothly and Ruby asked Shaw to stay behind so they could work on some vocals together. Ruby had decided Shaw's singing was good enough that she could handle the back-up duties on some of the songs.

"Derek and Gord usually do the backing vocals," she explained. "Pete hates singing, so he won't help out much. But I think your voice would add a nice layer to the sound."

She got a microphone set up for Shaw and they tried a couple of the songs together. Shaw had to admit Ruby was right. Their voices worked quite well together although Shaw's range was limited. Ruby said that didn't matter.

"You aren't the star, I am," she laughed, pulling the cap off another bottle of Jack Daniels and taking a huge swig. She handed the bottle to Shaw.

"Just keep playing those nice bass lines like you've been doing," she said. "I loved what you were doing on 'Bad and Wrong.' The way you threaded those high notes in there at the end, that was so ..."

She took the bottle back from Shaw and took another swig.

"Mmm. It was just so elegant."

Ruby wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and regarded Shaw with a raised eyebrow.

"Now, there's that killer smile," she said with a wink. "No wonder the girls love you."

Shaw stared at her.

"Oh, I've seen them in the audience. They really dig your ass," Ruby smiled and took yet another hit from the bottle. "You got it going on, honey. Take advantage of it."

Shaw put her bass down and started packing up. "I'll see you back at the hotel," she told Ruby.

"Wait," the singer said, grabbing her arm. "I'm sorry darlin', I didn't mean to upset you. You're still carrying a torch for that woman you told me about."

Shaw said nothing.

"Just tell her how you feel."

"I can't. I don't do feelings."

"C'mon," Ruby prodded her. "Everyone has feelings. You just gotta reach down inside yourself and pull them out. Like I do on stage. My songs are all about feelings."

She put her hands on her solar plexus and leaned forward, doubled over.

"Everything I feel deep inside here, I just take it all and I pull it up," she said, pulling her hands up along her body.

"And I just put it all out there, man," she explained, throwing her arms out wide. "just like that. No filter."

Shaw stared at Ruby, speechless. Did this crazy woman actually think she could teach her how to feel?

"You should try it," Ruby said with a smile, then took another hit from the bottle. "I'm serious, it works like a fucking charm."

 

* * *

 

  
That night's show went well and Shaw enjoyed singing backup. Ruby became bolder around her onstage, sliding up and down her while she played and even planting a kiss on her cheek afterwards. The young women in the front row were beside themselves. Shaw played it as cool as possible, which seemed to make her new fan club even wilder.

Ruby whipped the crowd up to a frenzy and was completely on her game for the first set. But during the second set, she brought a bottle onstage with her and started swigging regularly between songs. By the end of the show, she was clearly drunk and almost fell down the stairs while leaving the stage.

She was scooped up by her handlers, who tried to get her to go back to the hotel, but she insisted on attending the after-party. There were even more people at this one, Shaw noticed, and Ruby's entourage seemed to have doubled in terms of hangers-on. She spotted Derek having a long, intense chat with Jeff, the road manager, which she figured was probably about Ruby's drinking. Pete was scowling in a corner. Gord was making out with a groupie who was sitting on his lap.

It was another late night with the tour bus waiting bright and early in the morning. Shaw grabbed her bags and walked out into the morning light with her sunglasses on. She noticed everyone else had sunglasses on too, including Ruby. They were in L.A. by late afternoon and checked into their hotel. Everyone seemed hyped about the first of the two shows in L.A., which would take place the following night.

The next morning, Ruby was missing.


	6. Chapter 6

 

_I ain't the kind of woman_  
_Who'd make your life a bed of ease_  
_"Turtle Blues" - Janis Joplin_

* * *

 

The first indication that anything was wrong came at about 10 o'clock the next morning, when the phone in Shaw's hotel room started ringing. She had been up for a while, having gone down to the gym for a quick workout and then grabbing a shower. She was toweling off her hair as she picked up the phone and she could hear Jeff's frantic voice before the receiver was anywhere near her ear.

"Is Ruby with you?" he demanded. "She's not in her room."

"What? No, she's not here," Shaw told him. "Maybe she's gone down for breakfast."

"She never does that," Jeff replied, sounding more exasperated. "She always eats in her room."

He then let loose with a string of curses and hung up. Shaw dressed quickly and was just pulling her boots on when someone started pounding on her door. When she opened it, Pete shoved his way past her into the room, Derek and a few others spilling in behind him.

"Where is she?" he yelled, looking around wildly. "Where the fuck is she? Ruby!"

"Hey," Shaw grabbed his arm. "You're in my room, asshole."

Pete shook her off and made for the bathroom.

"I know you two have something going on," he growled, looking inside the bathroom and finding nothing.

"Always hanging out, always yammering away together," he wheeled around and faced Shaw, grabbing her wrist. "Who the hell are you anyway? Her new plaything?"

Shaw whipped her forearm around, breaking Pete's grip, then took his wrist, twisted it backwards and shoved him face-first into the wall, with his arm bent upwards behind his back.

"Get the fuck out of my room," Shaw snarled at the whimpering guitarist, then grabbed him bodily and shoved him towards the door, where Derek stood, looking shocked.

"Hey, not the hands," Derek protested, grabbing Pete and putting an arm around him as the guitarist began rubbing his wrist. They both looked at Shaw as though they'd never seen her before.

"Like I already told Jeff, she's not here," Shaw told them. "I haven't seen her since last night. She's probably gone off to meet that boyfriend, what's-his-name."

"Dan," Derek said. "Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of."

Pete looked down, still rubbing his wrist. Shaw realized he no longer looked angry. He looked worried, maybe even scared.

Just then, Jeff showed up in the doorway and pushed his way through the small group of people.

"This is a fucking disaster," he announced. "We've got the biggest show of the tour tonight and our star is missing? And no one knows where the fuck she is?"

"What do you mean Ruby's missing?" came another voice from the hallway.

It was Janine, the publicist, who was constantly hopped up on caffeine and always seemed worried about something. Shaw noticed both Pete and Derek rolling their eyes.

Janine pushed her way in through the doorway. Shaw sighed. Her room was turning into a scene from a Marx Brothers movie.

"I've got a dozen interviews lined up for her this afternoon," the publicist complained to no one in particular. "You guys better find her, fast."

Jeff shook his head. "That's it. I'm calling head office."

He headed off down the hallway and the others filed quickly out of Shaw's room. She shut the door behind them and locked it, then popped in her earpiece and dialed Finch.

* * *

 

"Do you have any idea where to look for her?" Finch asked, as Shaw began loading her pistol.

"No," Shaw replied. "Only that it's likely she's with this Dan person. Has she shown up on any surveillance cameras?"

"Not that the Machine's been able to locate thus far. But she's probably quite good at moving around incognito, considering she's a rock star. I imagine she's covered up her face and hair and she's wearing street clothes to blend in."

"Yeah," Shaw agreed. "Where's Root?"

"She hasn't reached out to you yet?"

"Nope. What's her cover anyway?"

"I'm afraid I have no idea, Ms. Shaw. And really, it could be anything."

"Well, I almost blew mine this morning," Shaw told him. "I had to restrain a rather irksome guitarist who appears to be insanely jealous of anyone involved with Ruby."

"Do you think he has anything to do with her disappearance?"

Shaw paused and thought for a moment. "I'm not sure," she replied. "But I'll keep an eye on him as well as the others."

"OK," Finch replied. "Keep in touch."

"I'll call you later," Shaw told him. "The reception seems spotty out here for some reason."

"Probably the smog," Finch said, before signing off. Shaw had no idea if he was being serious.

* * *

 

It was late afternoon when Shaw made it back to the hotel. She'd had no luck finding Ruby, Dan or anyone who had seen either of them. On her way into the lobby, she ran into Jeff, who was on the phone, a worried look on his face. He hung up upon seeing her.

"Did you find her?" Shaw asked, before he could say anything.

"No, I was hoping you knew something," he replied. "If she doesn't show up in the next hour or two, we are going to have to cancel the show."

"I've got nothing," Shaw told him. "We're screwed."

She looked up at Jeff, but he was looking past her towards the front doors of the hotel, where a taxi had pulled up. One of the back doors flew open and a long, leather boot poked out, then a long jean-clad leg, then the rest of Ruby, who was obviously high. She staggered in through the doors, laughing, causing everyone to turn and look. Shaw noticed someone else getting out of the cab as well. Someone tall and lithe and familiar who was wearing an unbuttoned blazer over a dark blouse and a messenger bag across her shoulder.

"Hey honey!" Ruby called out to Shaw as she floated into the lobby.

She threw her arms around Shaw and kissed her cheek, then did the same to Jeff. "Hey, you too, honey!"

"Where the hell have you been?" Jeff scolded her. "You are high as a kite."

"Oh, I was out with Danny," she cooed. "He brought me some candy."

"Where is he?" Jeff asked, his eyes narrowing.

"Oh, he had to go," Ruby said, putting a hand on Jeff's shoulder, as though she wanted to dance with him. Then she patted his shoulder and took a step backwards. "He had to go."

"You said that already," Jeff said. "Who is this?"

"Oh, how rude of me," Ruby replied with a broad grin. "This is Karen. She's doing a piece on me for her magazine. She found me on the Strip. After I fell down and lost my hat."

Root smiled and stepped forward, her eyes meeting Shaw's for a brief second.

"Karen Iverson," she said, shaking Shaw's hand, then Jeff's. Shaw felt something slide into her palm as their hands touched. It felt like a micro flash drive. She slipped it into her pocket.

"This is Jeff," Ruby told Root. "Remember, I told you about him. He's really bossy. And this is my new bass player, Darla."

"You can call me D," Shaw said quickly.

"D like the D chord? Or like a bad grade?" Root asked with the tiniest hint of a smile.

"What magazine are you with again?" Shaw responded.

"Rolling Stone."

"Never heard of it," Shaw replied, turning away and heading for the elevators.

* * *

 

When she got to her room, she inserted the flash drive into her phone and a file opened up on the screen. Root's voice was soon in her ear.

"That's surveillance video of our friend Dan," Root said, launching into her intel without even saying hello first. "He's a serious drug dealer. Connected. He took her to a motel on the Strip this morning and helped her get high. Then he took off."

"Luckily you and the Machine found her."

"She's pretty fucked up, Sam."

Shaw took in a breath. Root hadn't called her that in a long time.

"What should we do?" Shaw asked.

"Keep her away from him. I'm pretty sure he's the reason her number came up."

"Will you be in touch during the show?"

"Before and after, but not during. You're going to be on a microphone, remember? I've set up a new wireless connection between our phones so we can talk to each other while we're in L.A. You'll have to use a different one to talk to Harold. There's too much interference to hook him in from New York. OK?"

"OK," Shaw replied, then paused. "Um, Root?"

"Yes?"

"It's really good to have you back on board."

There was a longer pause at the other end. Then Root's voice came back on the line.

"Let's just keep this professional. OK?"

"Sure."

The line clicked off. Shaw stared at the screen for a moment, then put down the phone and began gathering her outfit for the show. She knew exactly what she wanted to be wearing tonight. Let's see how long Root could ignore her.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So when I began spinning this yarn, I thought it would be rather dark, comparatively speaking. But as it has unfolded, I've realized it's not really that dark. Sorry to all you lovers of darkness. I've taken off the dark tag and replaced it with other tags.


	7. Chapter 7

 

_When you got a good friend_  
_That will stay right by your side_  
_Give her all of your spare time_  
_Love and treat her right_  
_I mistreated my baby_  
_And I can’t see no reason why_  
_"When You Got A Good Friend" - Robert Johnson_

* * *

 

Despite Ruby's rough shape, nobody wanted to cancel the show. The next few hours were spent trying to get her calmed down and focused enough to perform. Jeff paced around backstage, his brow furrowed as Janine, who was more hyper than usual, berated him for failing to keep his star under control.

"There's only so much I can do," Jeff told her, his hands kneading his hair. "Head office is sending a minder for the rest of the tour."

"It's a little late to send a babysitter now. I had to cancel every single interview this afternoon. You know how that makes me look?"

"No."

"Bad! It makes me look bad, Jeff."

"Well reschedule them for tomorrow, after rehearsal."

"Fine," Janine spat, then switched gears as she made her way over to Root, who had shown up early with her media accreditation.

"Ms. Iverson? Right this way," Janine said, smiling in a way that Root immediately recognized as smarmy and fake.

Root followed Janine to a spot in the wings where she'd be allowed to watch the show. She realized this was a special privilege, which she'd won for rescuing Ruby this afternoon. The singer had made a point of demanding her new friend get full backstage access after the show as well.

The sound of the audience became gradually louder and Root could hear the crew making their final preparations to start the show. Then the lights dimmed and the crowd began to cheer. The drummer came out first, then the rhythm guitarist and the tall, lanky lead guitarist and then finally, on the far side of the stage, Root spotted a darkened figure she recognized as Shaw walk on stage with her bass.

The lights came up suddenly as the band launched into the first song. Root almost fell over when she saw what Shaw was wearing. She was dressed from head to toe in a black leather outfit that must have had a hundred straps and buckles on it.

Well, almost dressed from head to toe. Her back and her arms were bare and the tops of her breasts were peeking out from her bustier like ... like ... Root gasped. Like two delicious scoops of ice cream.

As surprised as Root was to see Shaw's rock star get-up, she was even more surprised to hear her sing and play that huge guitar with the long neck. It was almost bigger than Shaw was, but she handled it in such an assured way. A sexy way. Root looked out at the audience. There were lots of young women in the front rows and they were practically throwing themselves at Shaw's feet.

Shaw herself barely seemed to notice them. She just turned towards Root, looked directly at her, and smiled.

"Gotcha!" Shaw mouthed, then stuck out her tongue and wiggled it at her.

 

* * *

 

After the show, Root made her way backstage to the party. It was as loud and wild as she had expected, with everyone in fine spirits since the show had gone well and Ruby had killed it. The singer was surrounded by dozens of people, including several journalists and photographers. Root moved around the room, talking to as many people as she could, trying to pick up some gossip and scout out any trouble. She didn't see anything terribly amiss. Everyone seemed happy.

"So, did you enjoy the show?"

Root turned to face Shaw, who stood before her with one hand on her hip and the other holding a drink.

"Immensely," Root replied. "Quite a performance, by you and Ruby."

"Thanks."

"I'm seeing a whole new side of you," Root added. "I had no idea you played bass guitar, or that you could sing."

"Well, I have many talents," Shaw replied. "By the way, my face is up here."

"Oh," Root blurted out suddenly, blushing as she looked away from Shaw. "I wasn't... I didn't."

Shaw couldn't help smiling. She'd never seen Root so flustered. Just then, Ruby walked up between them and put an arm around Shaw's shoulders.

"How do you like my new band-mate?" she asked Root. "Isn't she delicious? I think you should talk to her as part of your story."

"That's not a bad idea," Root answered, then turned back to Shaw. "I'd love to get your perspective."

"How about tomorrow, after rehearsal?" Ruby suggested. "I'm going to be tied up with my own interviews, so you two could have a nice chat."

Root nodded and moved away. Ruby watched her go, then turned back to Shaw.

"I've invited her to come on the rest of the tour with us," she said. "She wants to do a long piece on me and the band -- a think piece, she says. Maybe even a cover. What d'ya think of that?"

She nudged Shaw with her elbow.

"Just don't tell her I'm not really from Texas," she said with a wink, then flounced off again, hooting and singing to the music that was playing.

 

* * *

 

The next day there was a rehearsal mid-morning and when it finished, Ruby returned to the hotel to do her interviews. She seemed to be in good spirits and didn't even complain that the minder from the record company had shown up and was insisting on monitoring the proceedings.

Shaw went back to her own room and changed into a clean T-shirt and jeans, and Root showed up about 10 minutes later.

"Ready for your interview?" she asked, brushing past Shaw as she stepped in.

"Sure," Shaw answered with a smirk. "Should I go put on my bustier from last night so you can take a picture? It lasts longer."

Root colored briefly, then changed the subject.

"I've got some new intel," she announced, sitting down in one of the straight-backed chairs at the table and opening her laptop.

"Is there anything about Pete, the guitarist?" asked Shaw. "He flipped out yesterday when we couldn't find Ruby. He has a nasty temper and he copped to an assault charge a while back."

"So I've heard," Root replied, "But Ruby is quite protective of him and the other guys in the band. She says he wouldn't hurt a fly."

"Hhmm, he hurt someone," Shaw said, frowning.

Root turned the screen toward Shaw so she could see the court document she'd pulled up.

"Looks like it was our friend Dan," Root told her. "It says here Pete punched him in the jaw during an argument. Three guesses what the argument was about, or should I say whom?"

"So maybe he was trying to protect Ruby from Dan," suggested Shaw. "He must know Dan's the one who's been supplying her with drugs."

"Yes, that seems logical," said Root. "Here's the other news flash. Ruby wants to leave the band."

"What? How do you know that?"

"The Machine told me. Ruby has been in contact with someone at another record label. She wants to work as a solo artist and take a new direction musically. Has she not told you any of this?"

"No. I'm still trying to get her to trust me."

"Well, keep working on it. Maybe she'll confide in you since you're new to the group and you don't have loyalties to the others."

"Maybe. Do you really think someone wants to kill her because she's leaving the band? That seems rather excessive."

"It does," Root agreed. "It's only rock 'n' roll."

She arched an eyebrow and for the briefest of moments, their eyes met and they both smiled. Then Root quickly looked away and closed her laptop.

"Better get going," she said, getting up. Shaw grabbed her arm.

"Wait."

Root hesitated. Shaw moved closer, pulling Root towards her, slipping an arm around her waist and lifting the other hand to touch her face, brushing her hair away with the back of her fingers.

"Shaw," Root whispered, pulling away. "Don't."

She moved quickly to the door and for a fleeting second, Shaw thought of stopping her, but instead, she let her go.

 

* * *

 

Root took her spot in the wings again for the second night's show, which began much the same as the first. Shaw came out onstage and looked over towards Root, but this time her eyes were elsewhere. Shaw gritted her teeth and decided to focus on the music, which was easy once Ruby got on stage.

The song lurched on, seemingly in slow motion. Shaw couldn't figure out what the problem was. The light seemed strange, like it was scattering around. She looked over at Root again and realized Root was looking up, towards the ceiling above the stage. Directly above Ruby. Shaw followed Root's gaze and looked up. Then she realized what was wrong.

It was the lights. A huge lighting rig was coming down on top of the singer. Shaw heard someone scream just as she threw her body towards Ruby and the entire rig crashed onto the stage, sending up sparks and shards of glass and leaving a twisted pile of metal.

 


	8. Chapter 8

 

_Open up your mind and let the truth in_  
_Open up your eyes and let the light in_  
_Break the chains that bind the shackles of your mind_  
_Open up your body, let a friend in._  
_"Friend" - Stone the Crows_

* * *

 

The next few minutes were total chaos. Someone on the stage crew immediately cut the power, plunging everything into darkness. Voices called out and flashlights were soon darting about as people tried to reach the stage. Then the house lights came up, one at a time, as the crew worked to isolate the stage lights.

Root was still standing in the wings but couldn't move because of all the wreckage from the rig that was lying on the stage. It was hard to see at first, even with her glasses on, but then some more lights came up and she could make out the figures of Ruby and Shaw lying on the stage. It looked like they'd managed to fall clear of where the rig had landed.

Soon, people were swarming all over the stage. Pete was cradling Ruby in his arms and Shaw was bent over her, checking her pulse.

"She's unconscious!" Shaw yelled out, and someone began calling for an ambulance.

Root moved back in the wings and managed to make her way past the broken pieces of the rig. There were so many people running around that it took her a while to reach the middle of the stage.

"Are you OK?" she asked Shaw.

"I'm fine but I think Ruby hit her head," Shaw answered, as Derek knelt down next to Ruby, who was just starting to come to.

"That was one hell of a rugby tackle," Derek told Shaw. "One second later ..."

"She'd be dead!" Pete cried out, looking up at Shaw. "You saved her life."

Shaw rolled her eyes and stood up, pulling Root off to one side as the emergency workers began showing up to attend to Ruby.

"This was no accident. How did those lights come down?" Shaw asked Root quietly.

"There's a catwalk up there but I didn't see anyone," Root replied. "It went dark right after so anyone who was up there would have had time to escape."

"At least now we know it wasn't someone from the band," said Shaw. "All of us were on the stage when it happened."

"Hhmm. You should go to the hospital and get checked out."

"Stop it, I'm fine."

"Your head is bleeding."

Shaw put her hand up to her forehead. "Dammit."

"Go with Ruby," Root told her. "I'll check around here and see what I can find out."

"OK," Shaw sighed, then smiled. "You can let go of my arm now."

* * *

 

Several people accompanied Ruby to the hospital, besides Shaw. Pete refused to leave Ruby's side and Jeff, the road manager, came along as well, with the minder from the record company right behind him. It was soon determined that Ruby had a concussion and some cuts and scratches. Jeff had a discussion with the minder and asked the doctor to run some blood tests on Ruby while she was there. Meanwhile, another doctor stitched up the cut on Shaw's forehead and put a bandage over top of it.

"You two ladies are very fortunate," he told Shaw in a patronizing way that made Shaw roll her eyes and Ruby laugh. The doctor stared at them both and then repeated "very fortunate" before leaving.

Jeff soon returned with the other doctor, who had some of the results from the blood tests. They showed the singer had a significant amount of alcohol in her system, along with drugs including cocaine, amphetamines and an antidepressant.

Pete sighed while Jeff clucked his tongue and the minder looked shocked. Ruby folded her arms across her chest defiantly.

"Well, what do you all expect?" she asked. "I'm out there every night, busting my ass for you people. And what do I get in return? Suspicion ... disapproval ... fucking babysitters!"

Jeff glared at her angrily. "You promised, Ruby."

"Go to hell," she replied. "You have no right to judge me."

Pete stood up and left the room and Jeff and the minder followed him out. Shaw could see Jeff in the hallway speaking to the doctor, who soon returned and informed Ruby that she had to stay at the hospital for a while for observation.

"Maybe my babysitter can read me a bedtime story," Ruby huffed, as Jeff re-entered the room.

"Your babysitter's been fired," Jeff replied. "They're sending a new one tomorrow."

"Oh goodie," Ruby replied sarcastically. "That means you'll have to stay with me. What fun."

Jeff set his jaw and glared at her and Ruby glared back. Things were about to get ugly.

"Look, I'll stay with her," Shaw offered.

Jeff looked at Shaw for a few seconds, then nodded.

"OK, I'll be back later," he told her.

Once the others had left, Ruby seemed calmer. She leaned back on her bed and Shaw pulled up the chair next to her.

"Well that was pretty scary," Shaw said after a while.

"Yeah, thanks for saving my ass," Ruby replied, taking Shaw's hand. "You're the best honey."

"Pete was there too," Shaw told her. "He seems quite devoted to you."

"He wants me all to himself," Ruby said. "He doesn't understand that Ruby can't be tied down. Ruby's like a beautiful bird -- she needs to be free."

She looked at Shaw and grinned. "You know what I mean, don't you?"

"I've never really thought about it," Shaw said, pulling her hand away. "And I try not to refer to myself in the third person."

Ruby frowned, then laughed. "But you don't want to be tied down to one person. That's why you cheated on your girlfriend."

Shaw stared at her in disbelief. "No, that's not what happened. It wasn't like that."

"Hhmm. Tell Ruby what it was like then."

"I didn't come here to be psychoanalyzed."

"Honey, you are miserable. You need to figure out why you did what you did, or you'll just do it again. Trust me, I've screwed up more relationships in my 27 years on this planet than you'll ever dream of. Written songs about most of them, too."

A few seconds ticked by and Shaw drew in a breath. Ruby waited quietly. Shaw looked down at the laces on her boots.

"Everything was going fine," Shaw began.

"And then?"

"It got weird."

"How."

"I don't know. It just got weird and then she had to go away on a ... a business trip. And it was while she was gone."

"You slept with someone else."

"Yeah."

"What happened just before she left?"

"What? Oh, nothing. Things were going great. We spent a week together."

"Where did you go?"

"Nowhere. We spent the whole time at my place."

"Oh," Ruby smiled. "In bed."

"Um, yeah."

The picture was already in Shaw's head. The way Root looked lying in her bed, the sheets tangled around her long body, that mane of tousled hair spread across the pillows. The way she looked in the mornings when Shaw would find her half-naked in the kitchen making coffee. And the way Shaw would tiptoe up behind her, slip her arms around her waist and kiss the back of her neck.

"Sounds like it was pretty cozy," ventured Ruby.

"Yeah."

"So what happened?"

"Nothing. She took off for a few weeks and I got tired of waiting for her to come back."

"Did she say something before she left?"

Shaw paused. "Well..."

"She did," Ruby smiled. "What did she say?"

"Um," Shaw frowned as she thought back to that day, when Root was packing up to leave on a mission she couldn't, wouldn't explain. She remembered the determined look on Root's face as she headed to the door. The look that softened when she turned, placed her hands on Shaw's shoulders and leaned in to place a tender goodbye kiss on her lips.

"She said she loved me."

Ruby smiled. "And how did that make you feel?"

"Nothing. I don't do feelings, remember?"

"Right. So instead you went out and slept with someone else."

Shaw stood up angrily. "It wasn't like that! I didn't deliberately try to hurt her. It just happened."

Ruby waited a minute for Shaw to sit back down, then continued.

"Nothing just happens. You were scared. You were fucking terrified."

"Of what? Nothing scares me."

"Her feelings for you scared you. So you had to test them. To see what she'd do if you betrayed her. To see if that would be enough to make her leave you."

Shaw sat there stunned. She wanted to tell Ruby that her theory was ridiculous. No -- that it was bullshit! But the bitter truth of Ruby's words was sinking in.

"Well, am I right?"

Shaw looked down again. "Maybe."

Ruby smiled at her. "You know what to do then."

* * *

 

It was early in the morning when Shaw returned to her hotel room. She wasn't sure if Root would still be up but she called her anyway. Root answered immediately.

"How's Ruby?" she asked.

"She's fine," Shaw replied. "She has a concussion and we're going to have to cancel a few dates until it's safe for her to perform again. Did you find anything out?"

"Yes. I'll be right down."

Shaw opened the door two minutes later and Root walked in.

"The lighting rig was tampered with for sure," she told Shaw. "Someone wants Ruby dead."

"Any idea who that might be?"

"Not yet. How's your head?"

"Four stitches. I'll have to change the bandage in 72 hours, but it's fine for now."

Root gently brushed away a few wisps of Shaw's hair and looked at the bandage. "I can help. If you'd like."

"Hhmm." Shaw slipped an arm around Root's waist and reached up for her glasses.

"Why are you taking my glasses off," Root whispered.

"So I can kiss you."

 


	9. Chapter 9

 

_Did you ever wake up,_  
_With that one woman on your mind,_  
_Sit there laughin',_  
_Laughin' just to keep from crying._  
_"Bullfrog Blues" - Canned Heat_

* * *

 

It only took a few seconds after Root had awakened for her to begin cursing herself. For losing her resolve. For letting herself fall so easily into Shaw's arms and then into her bed once again.

It was hard enough seeing her again. Then to see that lighting rig crash down, not knowing if Shaw was underneath it, crushed or electrocuted. Root felt like she'd been gut-shot as she struggled to see through the darkness, haze and wreckage. She could still remember the feeling of relief that swept through her when she finally caught sight of Shaw and realized that yes, she was alive.

She was hurt though. That big gash on her head. She hadn't even felt it, didn't realize she was injured until Root told her she was bleeding. How Root had wanted to grab her and hug her and feel that she was solid and real and just... there.

All of that was hard enough. But then she had to see Shaw again with that big stupid bandage on her forehead, those few strands of hair hanging down, those big, dark eyes making her heart melt all over again.

Damn her.

She could feel Shaw's arm around her waist now, holding her. Shaw's soft, cool foot nestled against the curve of her calf. Shaw's feet were always cold in bed. Her hands too. Cold hands, warm heart -- that's what Root's mom always used to say. But her mom didn't know Shaw. She only knew men with cold hearts and rough hands.

Root started to get up, but the arm around her waist tightened and the body pressed against her back moved closer.

"Where d'ya think you're going?" a sleepy voice asked her.

"I'm getting up."

"No. Stay."

"I have stuff to do. Let go."

There was no answer. Just the soft kisses Shaw was leaving on her back, on her shoulder, then up along her neck to that place behind her ear, where her hairline began. Shaw began to nuzzle her, moving her foot around Root's leg so that she couldn't get up.

"Sam..."

"Mmmm, stay."

"It's time to get up. Come on."

"I'm a rock star. I don't get up before noon."

Root sighed and pulled herself away from Shaw's persistent nuzzling and kissing.

"This doesn't change anything," Root told her, trying to sit up on the side of the bed.

Shaw pulled her back into bed again. "Yes it does," she said, wrapping her arms around Root's struggling body and holding her fast. "I know you still love me."

Root sighed. Why did Shaw always make everything so damn hard.

"That's my misfortune," she said at last, staring at the wall, still feeling Shaw's warm breath on her neck. "Not yours."

They lay there in silence for a few minutes. Root closed her eyes, waiting, until Shaw finally answered.

"I'm sorry."

"I know."

"I promise, I'll never..."

"Don't make promises you can't keep," Root said, getting up and grabbing her clothes from the floor.

Shaw watched her dress, lying on her side with her head propped up on one elbow.

"Stay and have breakfast with me. I'll have it sent up and we'll talk. We'll have a long, good talk. We need to talk, right?"

"Sameen..."

"Please," Shaw moved over to the side of the bed and sat up, grabbing Root's hand. "We can have french toast the way you like it, with blueberry syrup. OK?"

Root stood for a moment, watching her, then sat down slowly on the bed and sighed. "OK."

Shaw leaned in and kissed her softly, then pulled her closer so that their foreheads touched gently.

"There's my girl."

* * *

 

Ruby paced around her hotel room. She'd ordered room service an hour ago. Where was it? Normally, such trivial details were handled by an assistant or by the minder. But the minder was being replaced and her assistant was taking a few days off since the next several shows had been cancelled. It looked like Ruby would have to take matters into her own hands. 

She called room service and unleashed a string of threats and obscenities on the person who answered the phone. Then she slammed down the phone and broke it. Dammit. She needed something to calm her down and she knew just the trick. She picked up her cellphone and called Dan. Good. He'd be there in half an hour.

* * *

  
The long, good talk had to wait while Shaw devoured her french toast. Root watched her quietly, saying little. Shaw looked up every now and then to make sure Root was still there, that she hadn't tired of watching Shaw chew and swallow.

Shaw knew the talking part was going to be hard because it would be about feelings. She tried to remember what Ruby had told her about getting your feelings up and getting them out. She wondered if it felt like vomiting. She didn't want to think about that while she was eating.

"Coffee?" Shaw asked, taking a break from the french toast to grab the urn.

Root smiled and held up her cup. Shaw couldn't help smiling back. No one smiled like Root did. Shaw had almost forgotten how beautiful and perfect her smile was. Her eyes were another story altogether. Soft and brown, almost golden sometimes, when the light hit them a certain way and made them sparkle. But it had been a long time since Shaw had seen that happen. Now there was a sadness in Root's eyes that haunted Shaw, because she knew she was the one who had put it there. She wanted it gone.

"Thanks for staying," she said, after she'd finished mopping up the remaining syrup with the last piece of french toast.

"Well I had to eat anyway," Root replied, sipping her coffee. She hadn't eaten very much.

"I meant last night," said Shaw. "It was good, wasn't it."

Root didn't answer.

Shaw got up and went to sit on the bed next to Root's chair, putting a hand on Root's shoulder.

"It's always so good when we're together," Shaw told her, tucking a long tendril of Root's hair behind her ear. "You know it is."

Shaw waited a moment, then tried again. "I don't want us to be apart."

Root looked down at her coffee for a while. It seemed like an eternity passed in dead silence, until she spoke.

"You really hurt me."

Shaw realized what Root had just told her was a big deal, partly because of the words and partly because of the way Root had said them, then wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

Root tossed her head the way she did when she wanted the hair out of her eyes, then sniffed a bit and looked at the ceiling, then looked at Shaw, as though she expected something in response. Shaw wasn't sure what she should say. She stood up and tried to focus.

"What's wrong?" Root asked, frowning. "Have you got a stomach ache?"

Shaw was bent over, holding onto her stomach, trying to pull her feelings together into one big mass.

"No," she told Root. "I'm fine. I'm just trying to get it all out."

Root stood up and put an arm around her. "You need to throw up? Come on, let's get to the bathroom. Maybe it's food poisoning."

"No!" Shaw said. "I'm not sick, I'm just trying to... trying to tell you how I ..."

Root frowned again, puzzled by what Shaw was doing. She shook her head. Her cellphone was going off, sending her an alert from the Machine. She picked it up, then turned back to Shaw.

"Ruby's just called Dan for a refill and he's on his way over here," she told Shaw, who was now standing up straight with her hands on her hips.

"Oh hell," said Shaw, quickly moving to her nightstand and grabbing her gun. "We'll have to finish this conversation later."

She sat down on the bed and began pulling on her boots, then looked up at Root who was standing in front of her, her hands stuffed in her back pockets.

"Are you coming along?" Shaw asked.

Root smiled. "Absolutely."

Shaw stood up and just like that, her arms went around Root, who leaned in and cupped Shaw's face in her hands, and they kissed.

"Are you sure you're OK?" Root asked when they finished.

"I'm good," Shaw answered. "Let's go."


	10. Chapter 10

 

_Trying to check out her number, trying to run down her line._  
_Operator said that's privileged information,_  
_And it ain't no business of mine._  
_It's floodin' down in Texas, poles are out in Utah,_  
_Gotta find a private line._  
_"Operator" - The Grateful Dead_

* * *

 

"You take the lobby, I'll stake out Ruby's floor," Shaw told Root once they got to the elevators.

Root nodded and took the elevator down while Shaw took the next one up. The lobby was fairly busy so Root found a place to wait where she could easily see the doors without being too obvious.

"Anything?" she heard Shaw ask in her earpiece.

"Not yet," Root replied. "The Machine is checking the surveillance videos for a facial match. Hang on... OK, she says he's coming in now."

Sure enough, the lobby doors swung open and in walked Dan, dressed in gym clothes with a duffel bag slung over his shoulder.

"Got him," Root said. "The Machine is shutting down all the security cameras. Have you got eyes on Ruby?"

"Yeah, she's screaming at the poor sap who just brought up her breakfast. You'll have to take Dan out in the elevator before he gets up here."

"With pleasure," Root answered, managing to slip in through the elevator doors right after Dan.

About 15 seconds later, the elevator stopped on Ruby's floor and Shaw got in, stepping over Dan's unconscious body before punching the button to take them down to the underground parking garage. Root could feel the adrenaline pumping and her heart beat faster as she watched Shaw shove her gun into her waistband and then heave the drug dealer over her shoulder.

"Does the Machine have any ideas about where we can dump this jerk's sorry ass?" Shaw asked as they stepped off the elevator into the garage.

"Yeah, she just sent me the GPS co-ordinates," Root answered. "You wanna drive?"

"You need to ask?" Shaw answered, letting Dan thud to the ground and pulling his car keys out of his pocket. She disappeared up the stairs and about five minutes later, a red Porsche screeched to a halt in front of Root.

"Nice wheels," Root smirked as they shoved Dan's limp body into the back seat. "Want to take them for a spin on the PCH?"

"Fuck yeah," Shaw grinned.

* * *

 

Dan was out for several hours, thanks to the needles Root shot him up with. That gave them plenty of time to drop him off in the middle of a state park, dressed only in his boxers and tied up inside a port-a-potty. Root had wanted to leave him with a bottle of water but Shaw didn't want him to have any at all so they compromised, with Root pouring out half of the water and Shaw back-washing the rest.

They drove back towards L.A. in the Porsche with the top down, stopping at a burger joint for takeout as it began to get dark.

Shaw found a place to park up in the hills overlooking the city and ate her burger lying on her back on the hood of the Porsche, while Root sat next to her. Neither one of them spoke as they ate, and when they finished, Shaw wiped her hands on her jeans and jumped down, then reached for Root's hand. Before she could refuse, Root found herself in Shaw's arms, being lowered down slowly until they stood face to face in the warm evening breeze. Shaw casually pushed Root back against the side of the car and brushed her hair back from her face.

"You think you can kiss me anytime you want?" Root asked. Still, she slipped her arms around Shaw's neck and cradled her head as their lips met again and again.

* * *

 

Before abandoning the car, they locked Dan's clothes, ID and the duffel bag full of drugs in the trunk and Root used his cellphone to make an anonymous call to the police, letting them know where to find it all.

That accomplished, they tossed Dan's phone into the trees and walked together back down the road until they found another car they could steal for the ride back to the hotel. Shaw dropped Root off there, then drove off to dump the stolen car.

Root was on her laptop in her room when Shaw came on her earpiece an hour later.

"Hey, you busy?"

"Yes, but come on up anyway."

Shaw appeared a few minutes later, with a bottle of her favorite bourbon.

"What's up?" she asked, pouring them both a drink.

"This is interesting," Root told her. "Did you know Ruby was 27?"

"Yeah, so what?"

"Well there's a lot of social media buzz about her being the next rock star to die at that age."

"What? That's kind of ghoulish, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but people say a lot of nasty stuff online, especially when they don't have to sign their real names. Look at this."

Root showed Shaw a web page dedicated to the "27 Club" with pictures of its most famous members with big X's through them. At the top was a picture of Ruby with a question mark on it.

"That's sick," Shaw said with disgust. "Besides, she's not dead."

"Hhhm. They're saying the accident with the lighting rig last night was due to some curse."

Shaw laughed, almost choking on her drink. "Come on, you don't believe this bullshit about a curse, do you?"

"No, I don't. But it's possible that whoever is trying to kill Ruby believes it, or wants other people to. Maybe even Ruby herself."

"Why?"

"I'm still working on the why part. Don't you have a rehearsal tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

"Ask her about it... but do it carefully. She might be crabby since she couldn't get her drugs today."

"She's bound to be," Shaw answered, stretching out on Root's bed. "She just about ripped that room service guy a new one this morning. And that was just over scrambled eggs."

Root turned around and frowned at Shaw's supine form. "Take your boots off if you're going to lie down on my bed."

Shaw obeyed, grumbling as she removed her boots, then grabbed Root's hand and pulled her over to the bed. Stretching out on her back again, Shaw felt the excitement begin to build inside her as Root settled her long, slender body on top of her and they began to kiss and move together slowly.

"Mmmmm," Shaw moaned softly, enjoying the exquisite sensation of Root's weight gently pressing down on her. "I missed this."

"I missed you."

* * *

 

Shaw left Root's bed early the next morning so she could get back down to her own room in case someone from the band came looking for her. There were a few messages on her hotel phone about the rehearsal and a few calls from Ruby. Root was right. Ruby was crabby as hell. Shaw hoped she wasn't going to end up being the singer's punching bag for the day. She had a short fuse when it came to that kind of bullshit and she didn't want to blow her cover by going full ninja.

As it turned out, Ruby had already selected her next victim and it wasn't Shaw. They barely finished one song in rehearsal before Ruby started berating Gord for his guitar playing.

"You missed the chord change again, dumb ass!" she stormed at the hapless musician, who was practically shrinking under her rage. "How many times do we have to do this song before you get it right?"

"It's a G7 dude," Pete told him calmly. "Ease off, Ruby. He'll get it."

"Don't fucking tell me what to do," Ruby snarled at Pete, who just looked down and shook his head.

Derek got up from his drum kit and tried to calm Ruby down, which only served to further agitate her. Shaw pulled up a chair and sat down while the others battled it out. She had wanted to talk to Ruby about the curse theory but it didn't look like the singer was in the mood for any philosophical discussions.

What concerned Shaw even more was that Ruby had been given the green light to perform tomorrow night, so they could make up the show that had been cancelled. After that, they were to get back on the road and continue the tour. Shaw wondered if Ruby could handle the pressure.

* * *

 

The next day, Ruby showed up at rehearsal a completely different person. She was in high spirits, laughing and joking like her old self, and even apologized to Gord and the others for being, as she described it, "a mean old mama who needs to get laid." Shaw noticed Pete and Derek exchange looks, but neither of them commented and the rehearsal went extremely well.

The show went well, too, with Ruby in top form. She became even more seductive as she danced around Shaw, trying to whip up the audience. The more they hooted and cheered, the sexier Ruby became. She started sliding up and down Shaw, then grinding on her, then stood behind Shaw and caressed her pretty well everywhere she could reach.

Shaw tried not to show how annoyed this made her, since they were on stage. But as soon as they came off, she let the singer know she'd gone too far. Ruby just laughed.

"Oh come on honey, it's just for show," she said, slipping her arms around Shaw's neck. "After all, if you got it, flaunt it. You know what I'm saying?"

Shaw angrily pulled Ruby's arms off her and walked down the hallway to her dressing room. Root was just coming around the corner and stopped when she saw her.

"Well, that was quite the spectacle," Root said, giving Shaw a strange look.

"I'm sure she's back on drugs," Shaw told her, pausing at the dressing room door. "I haven't had a chance to talk to her about that curse thing. She's been hyped to the max all day."

Root looked up and down the hall and then leaned back against the door frame.

"I found out something interesting about Ruby's record contract," she told Shaw. "She still has three years left on her deal."

"I thought you said she was leaving the group and signing with another record company."

"She wants to. She wants out of her contract. The company has other ideas. They say she still owes them two more albums and they won't let her go."

"Shit. What does all that mean?" Shaw asked.

"She's threatening to do a jazz album if they don't release her."

Shaw chuckled and put her hand on the door frame just above Root's shoulder.

"Are you going to put all this in your story?" she asked.

Root smiled and tilted her head to one side.

"I love it when you do that," Shaw said, leaning in closer so that her mouth was barely an inch from Root's.

"Hey, what's all this?"

Shaw turned to see Ruby standing in the hallway outside the dressing room.

"Back off there, honey," Ruby told Root. "Go find your own girlfriend. This one's taken."

She put her arm around Shaw's shoulder while Root, looking stunned, backed away.

"Wait..." Shaw said, but she knew she couldn't call out to Root without blowing both their covers. All she could do was watch Root disappear down the hallway.

"Damn it girl, you are quite the player," Ruby scolded her. "But seriously, honey, you'll never get your lady back if you start chasing every cute little piece of ass that comes along."

Shaw swallowed hard. What had Ruby done? What must Root think?

Ruby laughed again. "Nice ass though," she said, staring after Root.

Shaw spent most of the night trying to call Root and explain but she wasn't picking up and she didn't answer her door at the hotel later on.

What a fucking mess. Shaw decided to pay Ruby a visit early the next morning to set some boundaries, and also to see if the singer knew or cared about the so-called curse. But when she got to Ruby's door, it was already open and several people were in the room, making a lot of noise.

Walking into the room, Shaw saw Jeff, Derek and Pete around Ruby's bed. Pete was yelling frantically and Jeff was leaning over Ruby's pale, motionless body, trying to rouse her.

Shaw jumped on the bed and began CPR.

"Call 911!" she yelled at Jeff. "She's OD'd." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who may not know what the PCH is, it's the Pacific Coast Highway. A truly stunning drive. Especially when Shaw is driving you in a Porsche.


	11. Chapter 11

  
_Well, I can't forget this evening_  
_And your face when you were leaving_  
_But I guess that's just the way the story goes_  
_You always smile, but in your eyes your sorrow shows_  
_"Without You" - Badfinger_  
  


* * *

  
  
The paramedics showed up within a few minutes and relieved Shaw of doing chest compressions. She was breathing pretty hard herself from the effort, and as she climbed off the bed, she hoped she'd done enough to save Ruby.  
  
One of the paramedics was asking Jeff and Pete what drugs Ruby had taken and Shaw began checking around Ruby's bedside table for any evidence. There was a syringe on the floor and a plastic bag on the table with a little bit of brownish powder in it.  
  
Other people were now coming into the room, including a rather aggressive blonde woman who ran to Ruby's bedside and began trying to shove Shaw away.  
  
"Hey!" Shaw threw the woman's hands off her. "What's your problem?"  
  
"Who the fuck are you?" the woman snarled.  
  
"I'm the bass player. Who the fuck are you?" Shaw snarled back.  
  
"I'm the babysitter."  
  
"You're doing a shitty job."  
  
The woman moved toward Shaw, her eyes fierce, and for a second Shaw thought she was going to grab her again. Shaw lifted her chin and instinctively moved her weight onto the balls of her feet, feeling her muscles tighten, her hands curling into fists.  
  
After everything that had happened the previous night with Ruby and with Root, Shaw was not going to put up with any more frustration.  
  
"You wanna go, bitch?" she growled.  
  
The blonde woman hesitated, then moved back as Jeff stepped between them.  
      
"OK, let's take it down a notch," he said. "Nobody needs to fight. Come on, D, let's just step outside for a minute."  
  
He was smart enough not to touch Shaw, who was still bristling from the altercation. Jeff took her out into the hallway, explaining that the new minder, whose nickname was Rottweiler, had arrived the previous day.  
  
"Just stay out of her way," Jeff said. "She'll be looking for someone to blame for this mess."  
  
"She'd better stay out of mine," Shaw said.  
  
They both stepped back as the paramedics took Ruby out of the room on a wheeled stretcher, with Rottweiler running ahead to clear the hallways.  
  
"I'm going with them to the hospital," Jeff told Shaw. "Could you look after Pete? I don't want him there. I'll call you as soon as I know anything."  
  
Shaw nodded and watched Jeff head off to the elevators. Then she went back into Ruby's room where the devastated guitarist was sitting in a chair.  
  
"Is she going to make it?" he asked her.  
  
"I hope so," Shaw answered. "Did you find any drugs?"  
  
"Yeah," he said. "The paramedics took them."  
  
"Where'd she get them?"  
  
"Probably from her drug-dealing asshole boyfriend," he said angrily. "Where else?"  
  
Shaw didn't respond, since she knew Dan was either in jail by now or trying to hitch a ride back to the city in his boxers. Someone else had brought Ruby the drugs, maybe even helped her inject them.  
  
She managed to get Pete back to his room, where they sat and waited with the other band members in tense silence until Jeff called.  
  
"She pulled through," he said. "This time."  
  
Shaw sighed in relief and told the others the news.  
  
"Do they know what she took?" Shaw asked Jeff.  
  
"They're pretty sure it was heroin but she had other drugs in her system as well. It'll take a while for all the tests to come back but in the meantime she has to rest."  
  
"Can we see her?"  
  
"Not yet. Maybe later," he said. "Just hang tough for now. And don't talk to any reporters."  
  


* * *

  
  
Shaw went back to her room and called Finch to fill him in on Ruby's overdose. He told her the Machine had been watching Ruby's room for the past few days and that she'd had steady traffic in and out. The drugs could have been brought in by any of a number of people. Then he paused.  
  
"What is it?" Shaw asked.  
  
"One of her visitors last night after the show..."  
  
"Who was it?"  
  
Silence.  
  
"Harold, tell me."  
  
"It was Ms. Groves."  
  
Shaw felt her heart lurch. "How long was she there?"  
  
"About an hour."  
  
"Did Ruby come out afterwards?"  
  
"No."  
  
Shaw hung up. Now she really did feel like she was going to throw up.  
  


* * *

  
  
Around noon, there was a knock on Shaw's door. It was Root.  
  
"Hi," Shaw said, letting her in.  
  
"Hi."  
  
Root only came about halfway into the room, then turned to face Shaw.  
  
"I saw Ruby last night after the show."  
  
"Did you try to kill her?"  
  
 "What?" Root frowned. "No! Why would you ask me that?"  
  
"She OD'd this morning. Someone shot her up."  
  
"And you just assumed it was me."  
  
"The Machine saw you go to her room last night after the show."  
  
"I went there for an interview," Root told her. "You want to know what we talked about?"  
  
Shaw looked down.  
  
"We talked about you."  
  
Shaw was silent. Root sat down on the bed.  
  
"Is she dead?" she asked after a while.  
  
"No."  
  
"The Machine's been quiet all morning. She must think I did it too."  
  
Shaw went over to the bed and sat down next to Root.  
  
"I'm sorry. I thought you were upset about what she said last night -- that you'd got it all wrong and thought that I... well, that she..."  
  
"That you were sleeping with her?"  
  
Shaw sighed. How did this get so fucked up, she wondered.  
  
"What was I supposed to think?" Root asked. "I didn't want to believe it. That's why I went to talk to her. She's actually very protective of you."  
  
"Protective?"  
  
"She told me you're still hung up on your ex. That you didn't seem interested in anyone else. Until last night, I guess. She was worried you were making ... another mistake."  
  
"I kind of told her what happened between us," Shaw explained, taking Root's hand. "She knows there's someone. She just doesn't know it's you."  
  
Their eyes met for a moment, then Root looked down.  
  
"I swear to you, I don't want to be with anyone else," Shaw said, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Only you."  
  
She put her arms around Root. "Come here," she said, kissing her hair.  
  
Root slipped her arms around Shaw, resting her head on her shoulder.  
  
"God, I already have one complicated woman in my life. Do you really think I could juggle two?" Shaw asked.  
  
"No, probably not," Root said with a tiny smile as she felt Shaw's lips move down her neck.  
  
Root lifted her head and rubbed her nose against Shaw's, her eyes closed, as Shaw leaned in and brushed Root's lips with her own. She could feel Shaw's hands in her hair, moving ever so slowly down her neck, caressing it and then gently stroking her face. After several long, tender kisses, they lay down on the bed together and forgot all about Ruby and everyone else.  
  


* * *

  
It didn't take long for news of Ruby's overdose to leak out, leading to even more online speculation about whether or not she was about to "join the club." A flurry of phone calls took place between head office and L.A., and meetings were held to decide what to do.  
  
Jeff, Pete and Derek all felt that the tour should be cancelled and Ruby should go into rehab, while Gord wanted to continue the tour. Shaw knew if the tour was cancelled her cover job would be over and done with and she'd have no way of monitoring Ruby. But in the end, it didn't matter what the band wanted. The record company decided that Ruby would take a week off to recover, and then the band would continue the tour.  
  
Rottweiler brought the band and road crew together and delivered the news like a drill sergeant. She told them that under no circumstances would any drugs be allowed and that alcohol would also be strictly controlled around Ruby. Anyone who broke the rules would be fired immediately. For some reason she glared at Shaw while making this pronouncement.  
  
"I'd like to bash her face in," Shaw told Root later. "She fucking stared right at me like I was some kind of criminal."  
  
"She's got a hate-on for you," Root said. "Maybe she knows the two of you were getting close. Keep an eye on her anyway. If you play your cards right, you might get a chance to bash her face in later."  
  
"You always know exactly what to say," Shaw replied, moving Root's blouse away from her shoulder so she could kiss her bare skin.  
  
They were sitting in Root's room, looking over the security videos from outside Ruby's room in the hours before she OD'd.  
  
"There's you going in now," Shaw said, nodding at the image on the laptop. "What time was that?"  
  
"One-thirty in the morning," Root replied. "Fast-forward and there's me leaving at 2:25."  
  
"And there was no one else there, and you didn't see anyone when you left."  
  
Root shook her head. They fast-forwarded the video to see if anyone went to Ruby's room afterwards, but there was no one until the other band members went to wake her up in the morning.  
  
"So I was the last one to see her before she took the overdose," Root said. "She already had the drugs then."  
  
"So she shot herself up after you left," Shaw said. "Which explains why the syringe was lying on the floor. If someone else had injected her, they would have cleaned up afterwards and thrown the needle out."  
  
"You'd think so. But we still don't know where she got the heroin or the other drugs from."  
  
"Let's see who else dropped by that night," Shaw said, rewinding from 1:30 a.m. "This is weird."  
  
"What?"  
  
"It looks like a pizza was delivered about 10 minutes before you showed up."  
  
"I didn't see any pizza in the room," Root said, frowning. "And Ruby wouldn't have eaten it all by herself. Not in 10 minutes anyway."  
  
"Maybe that's how the drugs were delivered," said Shaw.  
  
"Ingenious!" exclaimed Root. Shaw rolled her eyes.  
  
"So the drugs were in the pizza box," Root continued. "What happened to the box afterwards? I don't remember seeing it."  
  
Shaw stood up and began pulling on her hoodie.  
  
"Maybe it's still in the room," she said. "I'm going to go check."  
  
Root looked up from her laptop. "Shaw..."  
  
"Don't worry. I'll be careful."


	12. Chapter 12

  
  
_Would you like to take this magic potion with me_   
_On a trip to a cosmic playground far beyond_   
_She understands, she's been before_   
_It's in her hands to find the door._   
_"Sweet Lorraine" - Uriah Heep_   
  


* * *

  
  
Ruby's hotel room had been cleaned and made up, but Shaw figured there was a good chance the recycling bin under the desk had been overlooked. She pulled it out and had a look. Sure enough, there was the cardboard pizza box, folded up and shoved down into the bottom of the bin.   
  
She unfolded the box, recognizing at once the large, colored logo that was visible in the security video. Inside the box there was no grease, no paper, no smell. She got Root on her earpiece.  
  
"Find anything?"  
  
"Yeah. Can you check if there's a pizza place around here called Red Hot?"  
  
"Hang on," Root answered. "Yes, there's one a few blocks away."  
  
"Gimme the address."  
  


* * *

  
  
Half an hour later, Shaw was standing across the street from the pizza parlor, watching the goings-on inside. One of the delivery guys had his car parked in the alleyway next to the shop. Shaw dialed Root again.   
  
"Can you send me a head shot from that video of our delivery man?"  
  
"Sure thing," Root replied.  
  
"And get the Machine to check this license plate number and see if it was picked up in front of the hotel the other night."  
  
Shaw gave Root the license number and waited for the picture to come up on her phone. Within seconds, the image was there, a dead ringer for the preppy-looking delivery man she was watching. Root told her the license plate was a match too.  
  
Shaw waited for Preppy to come out of the store with a delivery, then made her way over to the alley.   
  
"Nice little side business you got going," she said, approaching him from behind.  
  
As he turned, startled, she caught him with a right hook that sent him backwards into the side of his car, dropping the pizza boxes he was carrying. She quickly grabbed him by his jacket, kneed him in the groin and threw him into the garbage bins at the side of the alley.  
  
Shaw walked over and pulled him up by the front of his shirt.  
  
"You made a delivery to a hotel the other night. Room 1203. Remember?"  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about."  
  
Shaw punched him in the face. Twice.  
  
"Wrong answer. You dropped off some heroin to a friend of mine. She OD'd. Ring any bells?"  
  
He struggled, sputtering. "I just do the deliveries, that's all."  
  
Shaw slammed him into the window of his car face first, then threw him onto the hood.  
  
"Who sent you there, asshole."  
  
He groaned in response. Shaw pulled out her gun and stuck it in his face. "Better start talking."  
  
"It was just some guy, came in with a big wad of cash and told me to deliver the junk."  
  
Could Dan have escaped both the port-a-potty and the police, Shaw wondered. Maybe he'd managed to post bail. Scumbags like that have their ways. She shouldn't have let Root talk her into leaving him water, back-washed or not.  
  
"This him?" Shaw showed Preppy a picture of Dan on her cellphone.  
  
"No. That's not the guy. It was one of the guys in her band."  
  
Shaw was stunned. She flipped through her phone for a picture of the band.  
  
"Which one?" she asked, sticking the phone in front of his face.  
  
He pointed at the screen, his finger shaking.  
"That's him."  
  


* * *

  
  
"You have to confront him," Root said. She was holding a bag of crushed ice on Shaw's swollen knuckles.  
  
"I plan to," Shaw replied. "I just need to talk to Ruby first. She's getting out of the hospital tomorrow."  
  
"What about the tour? Have you heard anything?"  
  
"They're planning on picking it up next week in Phoenix," Shaw told her, getting up from her chair. "That's enough ice, my hand's gone numb."  
  
"Do you really think Ruby will be able to keep it together once you get back on the road?" Root asked, dumping the ice in the bathroom sink.  
  
"Not for long."  
  
Root came back into the room and stood in front of Shaw, who was now sitting on the bed, with her boots off.  
  
"Your hand is still swollen," Root said, examining Shaw's knuckles.  
  
"Why don't you just kiss it better?"  
  
Shaw reached for the bottom edge of Root's blouse and pulled her closer.  
  
"Shaw, we shouldn't  ..."  
  
Root didn't get to finish the sentence. Shaw had already pulled her onto the bed, rolled on top of her and pinned her down, holding her wrists and silencing her protests with a long, sensual kiss.  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
Shaw was on her way to Ruby's room the next morning when she was accosted in the hallway by Rottweiler.   
  
"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" the blonde woman snapped at her. "We're having a group meeting."  
  
"My name is D," Shaw responded quietly. "Would you like to invite me to your meeting?"  
  
The other woman looked her over, sizing her up.  
  
"Fine!" she spat. "We're using the Aberdeen Room on the second floor. I'd appreciate it if you could attend."  
  
She glared at Shaw and then continued down the hallway to Ruby's room. Before knocking at Ruby's door, she looked at Shaw again.  
  
"Well don't just stand there, get moving," she yelled.  
  
Shaw turned and headed for the elevator, imagining her fist bashing in Rottweiler's face.  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
When Shaw got to the Aberdeen Room, she found the other three band members there, along with Jeff, Ruby's personal assistant Keiko and a dark-haired, bespectacled man in his 30s.  
  
There were two empty chairs, so Shaw took one of them. No one spoke for several minutes. Then the door opened and in walked Ruby and Rottweiler. The minder was wearing a smug, superior grin and Ruby looked pale and tired. She also looked surprised to see everyone gathered there.  
  
"Hello, Ruby," the dark-haired man said in a condescending tone. "My name is Ted. Please come sit down."  
  
Ruby tried to turn around and leave, but Rottweiler blocked the door, the smug look still branded on her face. Ruby sighed and walked over to a chair, then sat down.  
  
"Ruby, all of your friends and colleagues are here because they are very concerned about your drinking and your drug use."  
  
"Oh my sweet fuck," Ruby said, shaking her head.  
  
Shaw could see how cornered the singer felt. She'd walked right into an intervention.  
  
"Now, Ruby," Ted said, continuing in his patronizing manner. "Each person has something to say to you and I'd like you to just listen."  
  
He looked at Jeff, who stood up and turned toward Ruby.  
  
"Ruby, you told me you would not use drugs while on this tour. You told me you would not use cocaine, you told me you would not use speed and you told me you would not use heroin. You have broken your promises again and again and I feel I cannot trust you. I also do not feel respected by you."  
  
Ruby just looked at Jeff and did not respond. Next, Pete stood up, cleared his throat and began reading from a piece of paper.   
  
"Ruby, you broke up with me by smashing a bottle of Jack Daniels over my head."  
  
"It was Southern Comfort," Ruby corrected him.   
  
"Please don't interrupt him Ruby," Ted said, before turning to look at Shaw. "And you are...?"  
  
Shaw, caught off guard, looked up.  
  
"D."  
  
"OK D, what would you like to say to Ruby?"  
  
Shaw didn't want to be part of this pile-on. She shook her head. But Ted wasn't going to let her off the hook.  
  
"D, you are expected to take part as a member of this group. If you don't, that means you are enabling Ruby's self-destructive behavior."  
  
Shaw sighed, rolled her eyes and stood up. She could feel the eyes upon her, especially Rottweiler's. OK, here goes.  
  
"Ruby, you poured maple syrup into my bourbon and made me drink it."  
  
 She sat down as Ruby snickered into her hand. Ted and Rottweiler both glared at her angrily.  
  
Gord stood up next and unfolded his piece of paper.  
  
"Ruby, you tried to flush my snakeskin cowboy boots down the toilet."  
  
"You shouldn't be wearing snakeskin," Ruby told him. "It's cruel."  
  
"You're wearing fucking leather!" Gord yelled at her.  
  
"That's different," Ruby argued. "The cow would have died anyway."  
  
Shaw didn't hear Gord's reply because the whole room exploded into shouts and accusations, with people springing from their chairs and lunging at each other. Ted stood up and tried to return things to order but he'd already lost control.   
  
Shaw got up and moved away from the melee, sticking in her earpiece.   
  
"Did you hear all that?"  
  
"Yes," Root replied. "One of us needs to get Ruby alone for a chat."  
  
  


* * *

  
  
   
That was easier said than done. Rottweiler was guarding Ruby like, well like a ferocious attack dog.  Shaw had no luck talking to Ruby for the rest of the day and Root's overtures to Janine for an interview with the singer were also fruitless, thanks to the prickly minder.  
  
A rehearsal was set for the next day and if that went well, the band was to head to Phoenix for the next concert on the tour.  The rehearsal did not go well, since Ruby was in a foul mood. Shaw headed back to her room, feeling frustrated and unsure about how to proceed. Then she got a call from Root.  
  
"Sam, Rottweiler was in your room while you were at rehearsal."  
  
"What the hell was she doing in there?" Shaw asked.  
  
"My guess?" said Root. "She was planting something. I'll meet you down there."  
  
"OK," said Shaw. "And Root..."  
  
"Don't worry. I'll be careful."


	13. Chapter 13

  
_In starlit nights I saw you_  
_So cruelly you kissed me_  
_Your lips a magic world_  
_Your sky all hung with jewels_  
_The killing moon_  
_Will come too soon_  
_"The Killing Moon" - Echo and the Bunnymen_  
  


* * *

  
"I think I found it," Root called out. She was holding up a plastic bag full of pills and two other bags with powder in them.  
  
"Where was that?" asked Shaw, who'd spent 10 minutes going through every drawer, every nook and cranny in the room and finding nothing.  
  
"Stuffed between the mattresses," Root replied. "Looks like some kind of amphetamines in this bag, probably heroin in the other two."  
  
"She's trying to bust me with drugs so she can fire me."  
  
"You must have really pissed her off," Root said, putting the drugs into her messenger bag.  
  
"She's trying to keep me away from Ruby," continued Shaw. "She's obviously hiding something."  
  
"OK," said Root. "Let's deal with this first and then we'll figure out how to handle Ruby and her attack dog."  
  
She opened the door and checked the hallway, then slipped out. About half an hour later, she returned with her laptop.  
  
"Look at this," Root said, turning the screen towards Shaw. "Someone's put up a website called Ruby Death Watch. People are betting on how and when she'll die."  
  
Shaw grunted in disgust. "How sick and twisted can people get?"  
  
"You're starting to sound like me."  
  
"Sorry."  
  
"Anyway, it gets even more twisted. Guess who's behind the website and about 80 per cent of the social media posts about Ruby joining the club?"  
  
Shaw frowned. "I give up."  
  
"Her record company."  
  
"What? Why would they do that?"  
  
"What else. Money. Ruby wants to leave and she's refusing to honor her contract. If she dies now, they'll make... well ..."  
  
"A killing."  
  
"I, for one, would be willing to bet that Rottweiler is in on the game," said Root, shutting down her laptop. "And her dislike for you could be due to the fact that you saved Ruby's life -- twice."  
  
Shaw smiled. "Do I get to take Rottweiler out now?"  
  
"You're so cute when you get excited about your work," Root answered, tilting her head and smiling back. "First, we need a plan."  
  
  


* * *

  
  
Shaw was finishing her breakfast the next morning when she heard a knock at her door. She opened it to see a smug-looking Rottweiler, flanked by Jeff, a member of the housekeeping staff, a hotel security officer and a police officer with a sniffer dog.  
  
"This is the room," Rottweiler announced, shoving her way past Shaw and ushering the others inside.  
  
"Um, what's this about?" Shaw asked.  
  
"We've had a tip that there's a significant amount of illicit drugs in this room," answered the security officer. "We need to check inside."  
  
Both Jeff and the woman in the pale housekeeping uniform looked uncomfortable and avoided making eye contact with Shaw, while Rottweiler appeared almost gleeful.  
  
The triumphant look on her face began to fade as the dog moved around the room, showing little interest in any part of it. The officer took the dog to the bathroom, then the closet, then back around the bed again. Nothing.  
  
The cop shook his head and led the dog out of the room.  
  
"I'm very sorry ma'am," the hotel security officer said to Shaw. "We were acting on a tip that was clearly wrong."  
  
He glared at Rottweiler who was practically grinding her teeth in frustration and staring at the bed. Shaw could tell the angry blonde woman wanted to lift up the mattress and look for herself but didn't dare.  
  
As the others filed out of the room, looking sheepish, Rottweiler whirled around to face Shaw and pointed a finger at her.  
  
"This isn't over," she spat.  
  
She walked out to the hallway, where the security officer was looking at his phone.  
  
"That's odd," he said. "My boss just sent me an alert about someone trafficking in drugs from another room in the hotel."  
  
He looked at the police officer. "Could you bring the dog up to the 12th floor?"  
  
The officer nodded and the group set off for the elevator, with Rottweiler in hot pursuit.  
  
"The 12th floor? That's Ruby's floor!" she was calling out.  
  
"Yours too," Shaw muttered under her breath.  
  
  


* * *

  
  
Root peeked down the 12th floor hallway and spied Rottweiler being led out of her room in handcuffs. The K-9 officer was wearing gloves and holding an evidence bag with the drugs inside. Jeff was just shaking his head.  
  
"This is an outrage!" Rottweiler protested. "Those aren't mine. Someone planted them in my room."  
  
Root watched them get on the elevator. Then she dialed Shaw.  
  
"Rottweiler's left the building," she said. "I don't know how long you'll have though. She'll probably get the company to post bail."  
  
"No problem," answered Shaw. "I don't need long."  
  
A minute later, she was at Ruby's door.  
  
"Oh thank God, I thought it was Dog-Face again," Ruby sighed, letting Shaw in. "She won't leave me alone. She's all over me like a fucking plague."  
  
"Yeah she's pretty tenacious," Shaw agreed, looking around the room.  
  
"You have no idea," Ruby continued. "I can't even take a bath in private."  
  
"She wants to watch?" Shaw smirked.  
  
"She tried to last night," Ruby replied. "I locked the door. Then she brought me tea. Brought it right to the bathroom door. Insisted I drink it in the tub."  
  
"And did you?"  
  
"No. She left it on my nightstand for me. Said I could have it later. Who drinks cold tea before bed?"  
  
Shaw frowned and looked toward the bedroom area. "Is it still there?"  
  
"No, I dumped it down the sink. Why?"  
  
"You'd better sit down," Shaw said. "I've got a few things to tell you."  
  
Ruby sat in stunned silence while Shaw told her as much as she could about the website and the attempt on her life with the lighting rig.  
  
"I never believed all that crap about a curse," Ruby said. "And I can't believe someone in my band would try to hurt me."  
  
"You had people bringing you drugs," Shaw reminded her. "If they cared about you, they'd be trying to help you kick heroin, not bringing you more."  
  
"I need that stuff," Ruby said. "You don't understand.  
  
"You don't need it. You need to get off it."  
  
"Are you a cop?'  
  
"Not exactly."  
  
"I knew it," Ruby said, shaking her head. "I knew there was something about you. An agent? Are you here to arrest me?"  
  
"I'm here to protect you."  
  
"This is insane," Ruby got up from her chair. "The record company wants me dead so they can cash in on this morbid obsession? People around me trying to kill me? No one would believe me if I told them. What are we gonna do?"  
  
"First we're going to Phoenix," Shaw answered. "Leave the rest to me."  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
The band got on the bus the next day and set out to continue the tour. Rottweiler had indeed managed to post bail just in time to rejoin them but she was in a particularly unpleasant mood.  
  
There was only enough time for one rehearsal before the show. While Ruby was worried about what Shaw had told her, she was happy to lose herself in the music and seemed rejuvenated by the opportunity to sing again after so many days off. Shaw even managed to get Ruby to work on a new song.  
  
That night at the concert, Root was watching from the wings again, keeping an eye out for any trouble. About halfway through the show, Ruby stepped over to Shaw and put an arm around her shoulder.  
  
"This is a song we're debuting tonight just for you," she said, as the audience cheered. "It was written by this fantastic woman here. My bassist, Darla."  
  
The crowded screamed and hooted.  
  
"It's called 'Root of My Desire'," Ruby said, before launching into the song.  
  
Root looked over at Shaw, who smiled devilishly and winked back.  
  
  


* * *

  
  
After the show, Ruby didn't stay too long at the party, heading up to her room early. She wanted to take a bath to calm herself and get a good night's sleep. She'd barely started undressing when she heard a knock on her door. It was Rottweiler.  
  
"Whew, great show," the minder said with little enthusiasm. "Taking a bath? Good idea. You get in there and I'll bring you some tea. Go on."  
  
Ruby went into the bathroom, pinned up her hair, slipped out of her dressing gown and got into the warm tub. A few minutes later, Rottweiler was handing her the cup of tea.  
  
The bath was warm, the tea was warm too. Ruby leaned her head back on the edge of the tub.  
  
"I feel kind of drowsy," Ruby said after a few minutes. "Maybe the bath is too warm. I should get out."  
  
"No, you're fine," Rottweiler said, reappearing in the bathroom and spying the empty teacup. "Oh good, you drank all the tea."  
  
Ruby closed her eyes and didn't reply. Rottweiler slowly moved closer.  
  
"Ruby?" she asked after a minute or two. "Are you OK?"  
  
The singer began to slip down a bit into the water. Rottweiler knelt down next to the tub and reached out, her hands gripping Ruby's shoulders. Then she pushed down, forcing the singer under the water, holding her body down forcibly despite the flailing arms that tried to fight her and the bath water sloshing all over.  
  
Rottweiler leaned in closer and pushed down harder but to her surprise, found herself being yanked backwards. Two strong arms were around her waist, pulling her away from the tub, slamming her into the wall. She looked up in time to see Shaw's grim face, then Shaw's fist, then darkness.  
  
  
  
  



	14. Chapter 14

  
  
_The woman I love, she's under my skin_  
_She took me down, bound me and burned her way in_  
_Then she kissed me and made her way into my blood_  
_Hacked into my soul like a killer for love_  
_Tore open my heart and set it on fire_  
_The one that I'd die for --  the  root of my desire._  
_"Root of My Desire" -- Black Salve_  
  


* * *

  
  
"You were right," Ruby told Shaw. "She spiked my tea. Good thing I dumped it in the bathtub like you said."  
  
The singer was sitting on the couch in her dressing gown, still trying to recover from the ordeal of near-drowning. The police had taken statements from both Ruby and Shaw before dragging the swollen-faced Rottweiler away in handcuffs -- this time for good. They had plenty of evidence to convict her. The morphine she'd used to drug the tea was still sitting on the table where she'd left it.  
  
It wouldn't take much work to get the record company to fold up, either. Root and Finch had gathered enough electronic evidence to make sure of that, right down to the emails sent between Rottweiler and her masters at head office.  
  
Shaw told Ruby about the electronic trail, explaining that it had been uncovered by her "associates" and leaving it at that.     
  
"Looks like I'll be able to get out of my contract after all," Ruby said with a smile, toasting Shaw with a glass of Perrier. "I guess you'll be heading back to wherever it is you came from as well."  
  
"Not just yet," Shaw told her. "We've still got one more loose end that needs tying up."  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
The band had a rehearsal scheduled for the next day and Shaw wanted to go ahead with it, since the others hadn't yet heard about what happened with Rottweiler. Meanwhile, Root's hacking of the the Ruby Death Watch website had turned up some interesting information that Shaw wanted to put to use.  
  
It was time to play it out to the end.  
  
By the time Ruby and Shaw got to the rehearsal hall, the other band members were already there waiting. Shaw went over to her chair and sat down, while Ruby paced around. Derek called the first song and the band began to play, but instead of joining in, Ruby found herself another chair.  
  
"Damn I'm tired," she said, looking at Shaw. "I gotta sit down for this."  
  
The band stopped playing, waiting for Ruby to settle in.  
  
"It's OK," Shaw said. "You can sit. Gord, could you grab Ruby's microphone and bring it over here?'  
  
"Here, just use mine," Gord replied, picking up his mike stand.  
  
"No," Shaw said, standing up and pointing at Ruby's mike. "That one. Bring it over here."  
  
Gord didn't move. Pete started to walk over to Ruby's mike but Shaw quickly grabbed his arm and stopped him.  
  
"Don't touch it," she said, as Pete stared at her in confusion.  
  
"What? Why not?" he asked.  
  
"It's hot," Shaw told him. "Isn't it Gord?"  
  
Gord froze. His eyes widened. He hesitated for a second, then he turned to run. He didn't get far, since Derek's drums were in the way and Shaw's flying tackle sent him crashing into them.  
  
"What the hell is going on?" yelled Derek, scrambling out from behind the kit.  
  
"Someone just tried to kill me," Ruby explained. "Again."  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
Gord gave the police a full confession. He'd tampered with the wiring on the microphone so that as soon as Ruby grabbed it, she'd be electrocuted. He'd also paid a stage hand in L.A. to loosen the lighting rig so it would fall. And he had fentanyl-spiked heroin delivered to Ruby's hotel room, knowing she'd OD on it.  
  
"How did you know he was going to try to fry me?" Ruby asked as she and Shaw left the police station.  
  
"He'd been placing bets on the website," Shaw explained. "He bet big money that you'd die today, electrocuted by your mike."  
  
Ruby shuddered. "Why?" she asked. "I've known him for years. Why would he do that to me?"  
  
"He needed the money. He had huge gambling debts and owed money to some pretty scary people."  
  
"And this was his only way out?" Ruby shook her head. "He always was a slippery little shit but I never would have thought he'd stoop this low."  
  
"People can do some pretty shocking things when they're desperate."  
  
They walked for a while in silence, then Ruby wanted a coffee, so they went into a Starbucks.  
  
"All of this has made me realize how dangerously I've been living," she told Shaw as they sat down. "I could have easily died of a drug overdose dozens of times. I've done a lot of self-destructive things and I've treated people badly."  
  
"Yeah, you have," Shaw said. "But you have lots of time to make things right. And get some help. No one expects you to do it alone."  
  
Ruby smiled back. "You've been a good friend. I appreciate it."  
  
Shaw nodded and sipped her coffee while Ruby eyed her shrewdly.  
  
"It's her isn't it?" Ruby said at last.  
  
"What?"  
  
"The writer. Iverson. She's your associate -- the one who's been finding out all this stuff."  
  
"No."  
  
"Oh come on, honey," Ruby grabbed her arm. "She's the one in your song, right?"  
  
Shaw didn't reply right away. Then after a few minutes, she looked up at Ruby.  
  
"How did you know?"  
  
"Easy. If there's one thing Ruby knows, it's desire."  
  
"It's more than that."  
  
"Yes it is," Ruby said with sympathetic smile. "You need to tell her."  
  
  


* * *

  
  
It was a couple of hours later when Shaw returned to the rehearsal hall to retrieve her equipment. The lights were still on and she could hear someone banging away on the piano. Someone with five thumbs on each hand and an ear made of tin.  
  
Shaw picked up an acoustic guitar that was left on a chair and walked over to the piano, sitting down on the end of the bench.  
  
"Well what d'ya know," she said. "We finally found something you're not good at."  
  
"You think this is bad," answered Root. "You should hear me sing."  
  
"I have heard you."  
  
Root laughed. "I guess this is it for Black Salve then," she said. "I just saw Jeff and he says the band's broken up."  
  
"Yeah, Ruby's going into rehab for a few weeks."  
  
"What about you? Hanging up the bustier for good?"  
  
"I might keep one of them just for fun. Probably the one with all the straps."  
  
"Good choice."  
  
"I knew you'd approve."  
  
Shaw began strumming the guitar, picking out the chords for an old Beatles song.  
  
"That's nice," Root said, turning to look at Shaw as she played.  
  
Shaw hummed a bit, then started singing: _"Please come on back to me,_  
_I'm lonely as can be ... I need you."_  
  
"Really nice Shaw, you think a serenade will fix everything?"  
  
Shaw continued:  _"Please remember how I feel about you_  
_I could never really live without you ..."_  
  
"Anyone can say those things in a song," Root said, with a faint smile.  
  
"It's not just a song," Shaw protested with a frown. "It's one of the most beautiful love songs ever written."  
  
"That's true," said Root. "But you didn't write it. George Harrison did."  
  
Shaw leaned toward Root and sang again: _"So, come on back and see just what you mean to me. I need you."_  
  
"I'd like to hear you say it without a guitar in your hands."  
  
Shaw sighed, put down the guitar and took Root's hands in hers.  
  
"I need you. I want you back."  
  
She leaned in again, slipping an arm around Root's waist, and kissed her tenderly, stopping only when Root pulled away.  
  
"Is there anything else you want to say to me?"  
  
For a second, Root saw complete terror in Shaw's eyes. Then Shaw reached down and picked up the guitar again and strummed it.  
  
"Mmmmmm..." she began humming. "I love yoooouuuu."  
  
Root started to laugh and Shaw couldn't help joining in.  
  
"OK," Root said. "That'll do for now."  
  
"Thank God."  
  
Root lifted her hand to Shaw's face and they kissed again several times before Root let her forehead rest against Shaw's.  
  
"You can't cheat on me again," she said.  
  
"I won't."  
  
Root moved her head to Shaw's shoulder and felt Shaw's arms around her, holding her close, and Shaw's soft lips on her neck, in her hair, kissing her.  
  
"What do we do now?" Root asked after a while.  
  
"Let's go eat. I'm famished."  
  


* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's one more chapter after this. The song Shaw sang to Root is "I Need You" by the Beatles.


	15. Chapter 15

 

_I ain't dead yet_  
_I'll live to be 100_  
_Ain't joining no club_  
_No club that would have someone like me as a member._  
_"I Ain't Dead" -- Ruby_

* * *

  
The floor was hard, cold and dirty. Root lifted her head and tried to move. Despite the darkness, she could tell she was lying in a pool of her own blood. It was coming from the gunshot wounds. She figured she'd been hit about four times, maybe more. Her cheekbone was probably broken from hitting the floor when she fell.

For a second, when she realized she couldn't move, she almost started to cry. But she didn't mind so much because the tears would have been out of frustration, not pain or fear. She needed the frustration to turn itself into anger, into resolve, so she could get her ass out of there. But it wasn't working, not yet. She took in a breath.

Then she froze. She could hear footsteps coming across the floor, through the darkness towards her. The sounds of gunfire and explosions had died out. Now someone was coming to finish her off. She tried not to make any noise but it was hard not to breathe now. She needed to take a breath before the shots came. She wondered if she'd hear them, or if she'd even feel anything when they came. She'd never wondered that before. It was a strange thought.

The footsteps stopped only a foot or two away. Someone was crouching down right next to her. Root gasped. They were going to shoot her in the head. She closed her eyes and braced herself. Then she felt a hand on her back.

"Root?"

She opened her eyes and let out the breath she'd been holding.

"Shaw."

"What the hell happened?"

"Ambush."

She gasped as she felt Shaw lift her and roll her over, then heard Shaw swearing. Her hands were pulling Root's jacket open, feeling for a pulse on her neck. Then Shaw was grunting, standing up, pulling Root with her, hoisting her onto her shoulder.

"No, no," Root tried to tell her. "Don't do this."

But it was no use. Shaw was on mission, carrying Root and shooting at the same time as she half-ran down the dark corridor, taking out three more agents on her way out.

"My hero," thought Root before she passed out.

* * *

 

Shaw could hear herself panting as she made it to the last door and out into the parking lot. Root felt limp, probably unconscious, and her pulse was faint when Shaw stopped to check it. She used the butt-end of her gun to smash open a truck's window, then opened the passenger side door, buckled Root into the seat and hot-wired the ignition. She floored it through the gates and kept driving, her foot jammed down on the gas as she stole worried glances at the woman slumped in the seat beside her.

"Hang in there," she whispered, dialing Reese as she drove.

"Where are you?" he asked. "Do you have her?"

"Yeah, but she needs a hospital. I'm taking her to County. I'm about 10 minutes away. Tell Finch."

She clicked off and turned to look at Root again. Damn, she was going into shock. Shaw pulled over and moved Root onto the back seat so she could lie flat. Then she pulled off her own jacket and used it to to cover as much of Root's torso as possible.

"Hey you," she said as Root's eyes fluttered and opened weakly. "I need you to do something for me."

She leaned over Root and checked her pulse again. "I need you to think of our road trip out West, remember?"

Root nodded. Yes, she remembered.

* * *

 

She remembered waking up in Shaw's hotel room the day after Ruby left for rehab. Root's cellphone was ringing and she had quite a struggle to wriggle free of Shaw's clutches before she was able to reach the phone on the nightstand.

"Hello? Ms. Groves?"

"Hi Harold. It's only 6 a.m. here."

"Oh, forgive me. I just wanted to let you know you could sleep in this morning. Um, well ... you could have."

Root found it hard not to laugh at Finch's absent-minded blunder. "OK. So now that I'm awake, what's up?"

"The Machine has decided that you and Ms. Shaw should have a few days off after your mission. So you needn't hurry back. Mr. Reese can handle things here for now."

"Are you sure?" Root asked, as Shaw stirred, rolled over and snared her again.

"Yes, it's fine," he cleared his voice nervously. "Please tell Ms. Shaw I said hello."

He hung up and Root sat for a few minutes on the bed, watching Shaw sleep with her arm flung over Root's legs. Then Shaw turned over the other way again and Root settled down behind her, kissing Shaw's shoulder and nuzzling that place on her neck where the musky scent of her skin mingled with the fragrance of her hair.

"Harold says hi," she said.

Shaw muttered something in response. Root wondered what exactly the Machine had told him, then nestled against Shaw's warm body and fell back asleep.

They were finishing their breakfast a few hours later when someone knocked on Shaw's door. It was Pete.

"I just wanted to thank you for everything you did," he told Shaw, while Root listened from inside the room. "For saving Ruby's life, what, three times?"

"It's the least I could do," Shaw said. "The rest is up to her now. Are you going to go see her?"

"No," he answered. "Some people really shouldn't be together and that was Ruby and me. We brought out the worst in each other. Anyway, I've had an offer to join a band in L.A. called Bad Code. So that's where I'm headed."

Shaw shook his hand and he turned to leave, then called out.

"By the way. Ruby left you an envelope at the front desk. Make sure you pick it up before you leave."

Shaw came back into the room and arched an eyebrow. "Did you hear that? She left me something."

The envelope turned out to contain a handwritten note and a set of keys. To a Harley. The bike was sitting out in the parking lot, a vision in sleek black gorgeousness, just waiting for them. There were also matching helmets, each fitted with a built-in headset for ease of conversation while riding.

Shaw grinned at Root. "Wanna go to Vegas with me?"

"You need to ask?"

"Just don't get silly on me," Shaw said, putting on her helmet and fastening the strap. "I don't want to wake up at 4 a.m. and find you down at the roulette table yelling, 'Come on 22!'"

"I promise I won't get silly. But before we go, could we switch leather jackets? I've been wearing yours."

"Oh, right," said Shaw, slipping off her jacket and giving it to Root. "I knew something didn't feel right."

Shaw pulled on her own jacket and kick-started the bike, then motioned for Root to get on the back.

"Does it feel right now?" Root asked through the headset, slipping her arms around Shaw.

"It's perfect."

* * *

 

When Root opened her eyes again, the first thing she saw was a dark shape, a person sitting next to her bed. Dark hair, dark steady eyes, a hand stroking her hair. Shaw.

"Hey, you're awake," Shaw said softly. "You had me worried there for a while."

Root tried to speak but all that came out was a raspy sound.

"Don't try to talk," a nurse was saying as she moved around the side of the bed and began adjusting cords and tubes. "You had a tube down your throat for a while so it's pretty sore."

The nurse made some more adjustments and then left the room.

"That's not all that's going to be sore," Shaw said. "They took five slugs out of you. Reese helped me get you here just in time. We told them you were caught in the middle of a robbery. A bad one."

Root smiled weakly and squeezed Shaw's hand.

"Never thought it would take something like this to keep you from talking," Shaw smirked, then turned serious. "I'm sorry. I should have been there."

"You were," Root whispered.

"I almost lost you in that truck. I had to get you to think about our trip to Vegas, remember? We saw the Grand Canyon."

Root nodded. "I remember."

Shaw swallowed. "Yeah, me too."

A few seconds ticked by and they stared at each other in silence.

"Shaw."

"What."

"You were my safe place."

"You're mine."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that was the last real chapter but I will do an epilogue. I can't seem to let go of this thing.  
> Also, for those keeping track, Shaw saved Ruby's life four times. Pete didn't know about the bathtub thing.


	16. Epilogue

  
  


**Two months later ...**

_"She's. Plugged. In. Again."_

"Through the interface?"

_"Yes."_

"How long?"

_"About. Two. Hours."_

"Has she got the headphones on?"

_"Yes."_

"And the lights are out?"

_"Yes. The. Place. Is. In. Darkness. She. Likes. It. Like. That."_

"Does she know you're listening?"

_"Unknown."_

"Did she put it away?"

_"Yes. Far. Side. Of. The. Bedroom. Closet."_

"OK. I'm on my way in. Let me know if she stops playing."

 

* * *

  
  
The sequences of four became sequences of 12, then turned over, then turned again, then went back to the beginning. Shaw closed her eyes and played on, feeling like she was making her way through a grid of city streets. Then she was on her Harley on a winding road, keeping a steady pace as the scenery flew by, leaning to take the curve, feeling the wind in her hair.

She settled back on her couch as she played on, letting her mind take her where it wanted to go. Long, slender arms were around her waist, holding on tight as the bike flew through the curves. Then she let her mind take her even farther, with those arms wrapped around her as she lay in cool, soft sheets. Her body stretched out as that beautiful mouth moved all over her...

Shaw looked up suddenly, startled to see a dark shape in the room. She instinctively reached for her gun, letting go of the bass, ripping off the headphones as she sprang to her feet.

"What the fuck?"

"It's just me."

Shaw sighed in relief. "You scared the hell out of me."

"Sorry. I wanted to surprise you."

"Mission accomplished. Um, what are you wearing?"

"You like it?"

"How did you... ? Well, uh... yeah, I do like it."

Shaw moved towards Root, staring at the leather corset she'd thought was safely tucked away in her closet.

"How did you get all the straps done up?" Shaw asked, reaching out her hand.

"Did I tell you you could touch me?"

"Uh, no."

"You'll have enough straps of your own to worry about soon enough."

"Are you sure you're OK to be doing this?"

"I'm fine Sam. You're ruining the mood."

"You always say that."

"Shut up and get in the bedroom," Root ordered. "I'll be right there."

Shaw smirked and headed down the hallway, pulling off her tank top, then stopped and looked back.

"What are you doing?" Shaw asked, watching Root bend over her laptop.

"Shutting it down."

"Good idea. Three's a crowd."

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is dedicated to Janis Joplin and the great state of Texas, which I think we can all agree has produced a disproportionate number of totally freaking AWESOME women. There must be something in the water down there. Rock on sisters.
> 
> Just a few notes on the names and references in the story. Each chapter begins with lyrics written by one of the members of the 27 Club. This was a harder task than I thought it would be. Janis Joplin did not write a lot of her songs. Then I wrote more chapters than I had lyrics for so I had to go hunting for more. 
> 
> The character of Ruby is a composite of Joplin and Amy Winehouse and little bits of some other singers as well as Bette Midler in 'The Rose.'
> 
>  The drummer is named Derek as a tribute to the boy band of my teenage years, The Bay City Rollers. The guitarist is named Pete as a tribute to The Who. The name Gord is a reference to The Tragically Hip, a band so Canadian it had two guys named Gord in it.
> 
> \-- ZT.


End file.
